Banks Offer $10,000 Reward For 'Market Duo' Robbers

Banks are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to two men who are suspected of at least four grocery store bank robberies in Orange County, FBI officials said today.

Federal investigators believe that the men who robbed a U.S. Bank branch in Seal Beach last month may be the same bandits who have robbed three other grocery store banks Orange County.

The pair, dubbed the Market Duo bandits, are believed to have robbed the U.S. Bank branch at the Vons Pavilions on Pacific Coast Highway.

Federal investigators are searching for the pair, the "most prolific robbers" in Orange County at the moment, according to Jim Amormino of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

The pair is also suspected in a robbery of the U.S. Bank in Lake Forest on Dec. 10; a Nov. 21 robbery at a Wells Fargo bank branch in a Stater Bros. grocery store in Placentia; and an Oct. 25 robbery at a U.S. Bank branch at 2101 W. Imperial Highway in La Habra on Oct. 25.

In those robberies, one of the men went to the teller window and demanded cash while the other man initially acted as a lookout, police said. The second suspect at one point raised his right hand, which was covered by a blue cloth bag, and simulated having a weapon while threatening the teller.

According to the FBI, the men have driven away from crime scenes in a black or dark gray four-door Ford pick-up. Both are Hispanic men in their late 20s to early 30s, according to the FBI. One is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, with dark hair. The other is about 5 feet 8 inches and weighs about 200 pounds, according to the FBI.

Anyone with any information regarding the bank robberies is asked to call the FBI Bank Robbery Apprehension Team at (714) 542-8825 or (310) 477-6565.