FBI says West Side robber may have hit Spokane bank

The FBI said a bank robbery in downtown Spokane on Friday might have been committed by the “Roscoe Bandit,” who is suspected of robbing three banks in Western Washington.

Spokane police spokeswoman Officer Teresa Fuller said police responded about 11 a.m. to Numerica Credit Union, 502 W. Riverside Ave.

A man entered the bank and told a teller he was armed, Fuller said.

The FBI said in a news release Friday afternoon that the Roscoe Bandit is suspected of robbing the Timberland Bank in Olympia on Oct. 30. He also is suspected of robbing a Wells Fargo Bank in Seattle on July 29 and a HomeStreet Bank, also in Seattle, on July 28.

The man usually wears a baseball cap and sunglasses during the heists.

The name derives from the long-barreled revolver he has carried in the robberies, the FBI says. Roscoe is an early 19th-century nickname for that type of weapon.

The Roscoe Bandit is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information who can help identify this individual is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. Callers to Crime Stoppers may remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 if the information given leads to an arrest and charge of the person involved.