Skip to main content

The Today File

Your guide to the latest news from around the Northwest

January 25, 2013 at 9:48 PM

Seattle police arrest ‘Jimmy Buffett Bandit’

Seattle police believe this man, the so-called Jimmy Buffett Bandit, robbed at least nine banks before he was caught Thursday night. (Seattle Police Department photo)

Seattle police have arrested a man they’ve been calling the “Jimmy Buffett Bandit” since he robbed a bank in September sporting a thick mustache, pony tail and Hawaiian shirt.

The 44-year-old man was caught Thursday evening around 5:30 p.m. when trying to rob a US Bank near Westlake Avenue and 8th Avenue North, according to the Seattle Police Department. This time he was wearing a ski mask and threatened to shoot the bank clerk from whom he’d demanded cash.

As the bank clerk handed money over to the suspect, a security guard sneaked behind him and knocked the gun — which turned out to be fake — out of his hand. The suspect and security guard wrestled on the floor until the guard overpowered him.

When police arrived, the guard had the man pinned down on a floor strewn with cash, according to the department.

Robbery detectives believe the man arrested Thursday night is the same man who has committed at least nine robberies in Seattle, Bellevue, Covington, Kirkland and Lacey since September.

“Margaritas will be hard to come by where he’s going,” wrote Jonah Spangenthal-Lee on SPD’s online blotter.

Comments | More in The Blotter | Topics: Bank robbery, Bellevue, Covington

About The Today File

The Today File is a general news blog featuring real-time coverage of Seattle and the Northwest. It is reported by the news staff of The Seattle Times and edited by Assistant Metro Editor Nick Provenza.

Please send feedback about this blog to webmaster@seattletimes.com, and direct news tips to newstips@seattletimes.com.

Advertising

Seattle Times Needle cam

Trending with readers

On Facebook

Recent Activity

Advertising

Multimedia

Advertising

Advertising

Your free access has ended.

Subscribe today for unlimited access! Our introductory rate of only 99¢ a week includes:

  • Unlimited access to seattletimes.com
  • Seattle Times smartphone and tablet Web apps
  • Daily Print Replica -- an exact digital copy of the newspaper
Subscription options

Already a subscriber?

Digital access is already included with your print subscription!

Log in with your MyTimes account:
Subscriber login

If you've never used MyTimes:
Register your subscription