I-Team: Serial bank robber 'No Boundaries Bandit' strikes again

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The ABC7 I-Team has learned that a serial bank robber has struck again. With Monday's hold-up, the so-called "No Boundaries Bandit" has now hit nine banks since mid-May and he is still on the loose.

This serial bank robber has been nicknamed the "No Boundaries Bandit" by FBI agents because he has hit banks from Berwyn and Stickney to Melrose Park and Chicago, and he knocked over another bank Monday afternoon at 5400 South Pulaski. That's nine armed bank robberies in three months. It comes at a time metro Chicago bank heists are soaring, with this year approaching as many as all of last year.

He always wears a hat, and usually wears gym clothes or a team jersey, as do many bank robbers, and the "No Boundaries Bandit" has a gun under the waistband of his pants.

Since May 16, when he held up a PNC in Burbank, he has robbed banks to the north, south and west every few weeks, and once on back-to-back days. Nobody has been hurt- yet.

At 1:15 p.m. Monday, he struck again. This time it was the Park Federal Savings Bank on South Pulaski where FBI agents say he demanded money and threatened to shoot employees.

They say the No Boundaries Bandit is Hispanic, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-11, 25-35 years old and about 200 pounds.

The reason that his latest heist didn't get much attention: there was a competing bank robbery underway by somebody else in southwest suburban Bolingbrook.

The call came in about noon when First Midwest Bank was full of employees and customers.

"I saw this customer sitting on her knees with her hands up, and I just didn't think about anything. I went back to get mom, then I called 911," said Fatima Husain, bank customer.

A 21-year-old female teller was shot in arm during the hold-up.

So far this year in Chicago, there have been 101 bank robberies, just 20 shy of the total for all of last year. And even with the disguises, masks and costumes that suspects wear, the clearance rate for this crime is high-- 60 percent nationwide and 75 percent in Chicago, according to FBI officials.

There's been no sighting Monday night of the Bolingbrook robber and FBI officials hope this story may lead to a break in somebody identifying the serial bank robber known as the "No Boundaries Bandit."

FBI's bank robbery bandit tracker site: http://bandittrackerchicago.com/

Bolingbrook Police Dept.: http://www.bolingbrook.com/departments/police

Statement from the FBI regarding serial bank robber in Chicago:

"The No Boundaries Bandit continues to rob banks. Today, he entered the Park Federal Savings Bank shortly before1:30PM and demanded money threatening to shoot employees with a gun.
The No Boundaries Bandit is responsible for at least 9 bank robberies in the Chicago land area and is dubbed the No Boundaries bandit because of the amount of ground he does not mind traveling to rob banks. The No Boundaries Bandit consistently threatens employees with gun fire and has a tendency to keep his head down when at the teller counter to avoid cameras. A reward still exists for up to $5,000 leading to his identification and arrest."

Please note that despite his efforts to keep his face from view, we have a number of good surveillance photos that either show his face or distinctive clothing or hats worn during the robberies. We just need that one tip that will help us identify and locate the person responsible for these robberies.