Jun 2, 2007 9:44 am US/Eastern
Officials Hunt For 'Mad Hatter' Bank Robber
MONTCLAIR, N.J. (CBS/AP) ―
After an eight-month string of bank robberies that have confounded authorities, officials suspect a bank heist caught on tape Friday was the work of an elusive hat bandit.
Leaving behind a cloud of red dye and a stream of pictures documenting his crime, the robber can be clearly seen in bank surveillance video. The man closely resembles previous photographs of the bank robber dubbed "The Mad Hatter" for his wide range of headgear.
In one video frame, the middle-aged man can be seen entering a Commerce Bank branch in Montclair on Friday. In another picture he is seen holding a note that FBI spokesman Sean Quinn said is a demand for money.
Another picture then shows the man outside of the bank running away, and one of the final pictures shows a red cloud from a dye pack that was included in the money given to the bank robber.
All of the pictures were taken by various bank security cameras.
Quinn said that officials think the bank robber could possibly be "The Mad Hatter," who is blamed for a long string of bank robberies in central and northern New Jersey.
Almost as extensive as his choice of banks is his choice of hats: a hunter's cap in one robbery, different types of baseball caps in others, a fisherman's hat in still another heist. They've earned the robber his nickname, which is derived from a top hat-wearing character in the children's classic "Alice in Wonderland."
The man in Friday's heist is described by the FBI as a white male, in his late 40s or 50s with a mole on his left cheek. He can be seen wearing a blue baseball cap, a blue and white plaid shirt and dark pants.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
