Toronto Police are hoping to give bank tellers in the city an early Christmas present, arresting a "preppy punk",
Staff Insp. Mike Earl believes the same man is behind five bank robberies between November 21 and December 17 along Yonge St between Davisville and Lawrence.
Four of the robberies were carried out between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., earning the thief the moniker "The Lunchtime Bandit".
"He has a pattern of some sort, or maybe he is on lunch break between 12 and one in that area. He could be a student, he could have a job in that area," Earl told reporters Tuesday.
Earl says each robbery has been carried out in the same way. The thief poses as a customer, hands the teller a "well-written" note with proper grammar indicating that he has a gun and making a demand for cash.
Earl describes the "Lunchtime Bandit" as a preppy, clean cut well-dressed man in his mid-20s with a medium build standing about 5'10-6' with a few light freckles on his face
Though no one has seen a gun at any of the robberies, Earl still views them as violent.
"(It's about) the personal threat on the bank teller...leaning over a counter, whispering, indicating that he is armed and going to shoot you unless you provide the money. Post-traumatic stress kicks in on some of these tellers. Some of them can't return to work because of fear of the job. And so it is a violent crime and this guy needs to be apprehended.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 416-808-7350 or to contact Crime Stoppers.