AURORA, Colo.—The FBI says a Tuesday armed robbery of a bank in the Denver suburb of Aurora is believed to be related to two other armed bank robberies in the Denver area this month.
The FBI has nicknamed the suspects the Hopping Hooded Bandits for their brazen style of taking over a bank, hopping the counter and taking money while armed and wearing clothing that obscures their faces.
The latest robbery was at 9:30 a.m Tuesday at a US Bank branch. No injuries were reported after four masked men with handguns held up the bank.
The previous holdups were Dec. 2 and Dec. 9. No arrests have been made. A reward pot for information leading to the suspects’ arrests has grown to $12,000.
Authorities have been responding to similar crimes in recent weeks. In November, two people attempting to rob another Westminster bank were killed in a shootout with police.
The robbers were identified as Christian Benshoof, 35, and Ashley Johnson, 25, of Loveland, 50 miles north. Investigators said they were romantically involved.
Two police officers were injured by gunfire but were recovering.
The FBI is also investigating four other December bank robberies where the robber didn’t show a weapon but either made a verbal or written demand for money. FBI spokesman Dave Joly said those robberies aren’t believed to be related.
A First Bank branch in Denver was robbed Friday. On Monday, a TCF Bank in Denver, an Ent Credit Union in Denver and a Bank of the West in suburban Westminster were robbed.
Investigators haven’t said how much money was taken in any of the robberies or whether any of the money was rigged with dye that splatters the robber.
