Bandit wearing surgical mask sought in Beverly Hills bank robbery

A bank robber who wears a surgical mask during holdups is being hunted by the FBI in connection with a recent robbery in Beverly Hills.

Dubbed the Patient Bandit because of the surgical mask that covered his nose and mouth and the bandage wrapped on his arm, the robber held up a Citibank on Wilshire Boulevard on Nov. 28.

The suspect passed the teller a note, demanded cash and said that he had an explosive, the FBI said.

The man matching his description was later seen in bank surveillance photographs taken Dec. 5 at a Citibank on 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue, authorities said. Witnesses said the man stood in a customer service line but never carried out any business at the bank.

He may be donning the same look as the Bad Breath Bandit, but their method of operation is different, FBI spokeswoman Ari Dekofsky said. Still, the FBI is not ruling out a possible connection.

The Bad Breath Bandit, who uses a paper face mask with yellow straps to conceal his identity, robbed three banks in Northern California over the last six months, the FBI said. He used a handgun in two of his robberies and passed the teller a backpack in the other.

FBI officials said the Patient Bandit, who also wore a New England Patriots baseball cap and carried a black backpack, had a clear bandage on his arm, similar to ones given after blood is drawn.

The man was more than 6 feet tall, about 230 pounds and 55 years old.

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