Suspected serial bank robber jailed

Authorities captured a serial bank robbery suspect known as the "Bomb and Gun Bandit" in Pasadena Tuesday after he allegedly robbed an Alhambra bank.
Eric Parris, 45, will likely face federal charges in connection with a string of bank robberies, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.
He is suspected in at least seven robberies in Alhambra, Pasadena, Burbank and Los Angeles, according to Alhambra police and FBI officials. He earned his nickname by allegedly carrying a briefcase during the robberies and claiming to have a bomb and gun inside.
Alhambra police responded to a report of a bank robbery about 1:15 p.m. at Citibank, 1 West Bay State Street, Sgt. Brandon Black said in a written statement.
Clutching his trademark briefcase, "(The robber) placed a demand note on the counter, which indicated that the suspect was robbing the bank and that he had a gun and bomb in the briefcase," Black said. He then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Earlier Tuesday, San Marino police received a report of a suspicious person possibly casing a San Marino bank, the sergeant said. In that case, a bank employee was able to give police a license plate number.
San Marino police officers found and stopped the suspicious vehicle from their city at Fair Oaks and Del Mar avenues in Pasadena about 30 after the Alhambra robbery, Black said.
The driver was identified as a suspect in the Alhambra robbery and arrested, Black said. Officials then determined he was also wanted in connection with the other crimes.
Officials from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Bomb Squad checked out the suspect's briefcase and determined it contained neither a bomb nor a gun, Alhambra police Lt. Cliff Mar said.
According to an FBI bulletin, other crimes the "Bomb and Gun Bandit" is suspected in include robberies at a Pasadena Chase bank branch, 860 E. Colorado Blvd., on Jan. 12 of this year and May 15 of 2009, as well as two bank robberies in Burbank and two in Los Angeles last year.
According to sheriff's booking records, Parris was being held in federal custody and was scheduled to appear in Alhambra Superior Court on Thursday.

ABOVE: Surveillance photo of the "Bomb and Gun Bandit" comes courtesy of the FBI.