‘Too Tall Bandit’ strikes again after mysterious two-year hiatus
He’s hard to miss, but a serial bank robber dubbed the “Too Tall Bandit” is at it again — after the roughly 6-foot-8 man apparently took a two-year break from his 11-year crime spree, according to a report.
The soaring suspect with a penchant for Halloween masks — who the FBI believes targeted 16 banks since 2009 in South Carolina, Tennessee and North Carolina — struck again twice in November, ABC News reported.
“We’re just hoping someone can give us that tip we need to identify him before someone gets hurt. It is definitely a concern,” FBI spokeswoman Shelley Lynch in Charlotte, North Carolina, told the network Wednesday.
Sporting a skull mask, the armed man hit the United Community bank in Etowah, North Carolina, where the hulking robber was captured on surveillance video.
“There’s something distinctive about the way he walks,” Lynch told ABC News. “He appears to have a limp that impacts his right leg.”
The man — who is believed to be white and in his 40s — entered the bank holding a dark pistol and jumped over a counter.
“He does come into the bank, right away pointing his gun typically at bank employees, ordering them to the ground and in many cases, he actually jumps the counter and goes behind the teller area,” Lynch said.
On Nov. 6, he struck the First Bank in Brevard, North Carolina, about 11 miles southwest of Etowah.
“He has a very aggressive manner, is heavily disguised and again with a weapon every single time,” she said.
“We do just want to see if we can get some additional tips from the public either recognizing some of the clothing he’s worn in multiple robberies or hearing about his description and maybe knowing someone who’s that tall, has a deep voice, and walks with that limp,” Lynch added.
Before the last two heists, the suspect’s last known holdup took place on Jan. 4, 2019, at a SunTrust Bank in Franklin, Tennessee. He is believed to have targeted the same bank in 2012.
It remains a mystery why the bandit apparently took a nearly two-year hiatus, said Lynch, who said the feds are investigating whether he was behind bars during that time.