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Reward offered for suspect in 15 San Diego County bank robberies

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A $20,000 reward is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the serial bank robber known as the El Chapparito Bandit, the FBI in San Diego announced Tuesday.

El Chapparito, described as an Asian or Latino male in his mid-20s, 5-foot-3 to 5-foot-7, is responsible for 15 bank robberies in San Diego County starting on Nov. 19, 2013, the FBI said.

The nickname, roughly translated, means Shorty.

The bandit has an unusually aggressive “modified takeover style,” entering the bank yelling “hands up everyone” and robbing more than one teller, the FBI said. He wears a mask, sunglasses, gloves and a baseball cap, possibly with a Cleveland Indians logo.

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A dozen of the robberies have been in San Diego, with one each in National City, Bonita and Chula Vista. The most recent robbery was Sept. 13, when El Chapparito robbed a Wells Fargo branch in San Diego, the FBI said.

The bandit pretends to have a gun but one has not been spotted by witnesses.

Twitter: @LATsandiego

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