Updated: Gunman Robs Seal Beach Bank Near Leisure World

A gunman who said he had a bomb robbed a bank in Seal Beach today.

The suspect walked into a U.S. Bank* branch in the Leisure World Shopping Center at 13900 Seal Beach Blvd. around 3:40 p.m., brandished a handgun and placed what he said was a bomb on a table, said Seal Beach police Sgt. Steve Bowles.

He fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, taking the alleged bomb with him, and was last seen running through the parking lot, Bowles said. Officers set up a perimeter at the shopping center but did not locate the suspect, Bowles said.

The man was described as 25-35 years old with a thin build. He was wearing a beige baseball cap and a plaid jacket, Bowles said. Anyone with information about the robbery was asked to call Seal Beach police Detective Gary Krogman at (562) 799-4100, extension 1108.

Last year, another Seal Beach US Bank branch in Vons on PCH was robbed by a pair known as the Market Duo. The suspects in that robbery were arrested and one was shot following another bank robbery and subsequent high speed chase. The suspects in that case appeared in Orange County Superior Court this week to face several robbery charges.

-City News Service

Correction: In an early version of this article the, name of the bank was misidentified.