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Bearded bandit nabbed by FBI
Suspect wanted for string of bank robberies, including Turlock location
robber pic 1
The FBI has arrested Gerardo Orozco Lopez, 28, of Half Moon Bay on Thursday. Lopez is suspected of being the Bad Beard Bandit who was responsible for a Turlock bank robbery in February. - photo by Photo Contributed

A man suspected of committing several bank robberies, including one in Turlock and dubbed the “Bad Beard Bandit” was arrested by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations Thursday.

The suspect was identified as Gerardo Orozco Lopez, 28, of Half Moon Bay. Lopez is suspected of robbing eight Northern California banks over a four month period. One of the banks was the Citibank at 2000 Geer Road.

The suspect was dubbed the “Bad Beard Bandit,” by the FBI because he wore an obvious fake beard of poor quality. A weapon was never displayed during any of the robberies, but the suspect threatened that he had a weapon, which heightened concern for the safety of bank personnel and patrons, said FBI spokesperson Gina Swankie.

At the Turlock bank robbery, the suspect, wearing a fake beard, presented the teller with a note that demanded cash and inferred he had a weapon.

 The Bad Beard Bandit was wanted for the following robberies: Nov. 21, 2013 Bank of the West, 411 W. Main St., Ripon; Nov. 26, 2013 Chase Bank, 123 Spreckels Ave., Manteca; Dec. 3, 2013 Chase Bank, 691 W. 11th St., Tracy; Dec. 4, 2013 Chase Bank, 4520 Dublin Blvd., Dublin; Dec. 10, 2013 Citibank, 395 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale; Dec. 18, 2013 Chase Bank, 5142 Stevens Creek Boulevard, San Jose; Feb. 5, 2014 Citibank, 2000 Geer Road, Turlock; and Feb. 25, 2014, Citibank, 1995 41st Avenue, Capitola.

 

The extensive FBI investigation and arrest is the result of efforts from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Capitola Police Department, Dublin Police Services, Manteca Police Department, Ripon Police Department, San Jose Police Department, Stockton Police Department, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, Sunnyvale Police Department, Tracy Police Department, Turlock Police Department, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.