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Click Here 41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, March 4, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend November 13, 2003 Police are looking for this man, who they believe has burgled three area banks, including a Washington Mutual branch in Eagle Point early Tuesday morning. Bore-through bank bandit strikes again By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune A burglar pried his way into an Eagle Point bank early Tuesday morning and made off with cash from the tellers’ drawers. It was the third time since September that a burglar cut through a wall during the night to steal money from a Rogue Valley bank, investigators said. "We’ve got somebody thinking along the same terms," Eagle Point Police Chief David Strand said. A janitor cleaning the Washington Mutual branch at 133 W. Main St., Eagle Point, discovered the break-in Tuesday evening when she found a hole in the wall in the manager’s office, Strand said. The bank was closed that day for Veterans Day. Advertisement The burglar, who appears to know about construction, pried off a panel under a window in the manager’s office, Strand said. He removed building material to break through the wall, then he squeezed into the office. Outside, shrubbery shielded the hole and hid the burglar while he carved it out. Once inside the bank, the burglar went to the tellers’ work stations, pried open the cash drawers and took a sizable amount of rolled coins, mostly dimes and quarters, Strand said. The bank’s surveillance cameras photographed him while he worked. The photos, each digitally stamped with the time it was taken around 3 a.m. Tuesday, show a white man who police estimate is about 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs at least 210 pounds. He had a pair of dark nylons pulled over his face and wore white gloves. Investigators hope the pictures will help lead them to the burglar. "He has a distinctive build and his clothing is clearly visible," Medford Police Detective Bill Ford said. Ford assisted Eagle Point police and is investigating a similar burglary that was committed Sept. 30 at PremierWest Bank, 3369 Crater Lake Highway. In that break-in, the burglar broke through siding and drywall with a screwdriver to enter the bank, gathered about $3,000 worth of cash and rolled coins and climbed back out the hole in the wall, Ford said. The other similar robbery was discovered Sept. 15 at Home Valley Bank, 598 N.E. F St. in Grants Pass. Investigators believe someone punched a hole in a wall, went in and took rolled coins. Any one with information can call Eagle Point police at 826-9171. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times