PHOENIX -- The FBI is asking for the public's help to identify the suspects responsible for bank robberies across Northern Arizona.
The suspects known as the High Country Bandits have allegedly committed 12 heists in Northern Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.
According to the FBI, one suspect often enters a bank near closing time and brandishes a black semi-automatic handgun. He then demands all the money from the teller drawers. He puts the money in a bag, orders everyone on the ground and leaves the bank with a second suspect.
They have been seen leaving the banks on a green or maroon 4-wheel ATV with the second suspect driving.
The first suspect is described as a white or Hispanic male with a slight build, in his 30s or 40s, 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 6 inches tall, and 130 to 160 pounds. He has brown or gray hair with a possible mustache or beard and thin legs. His voice is described as being deep, rough or raspy. He was seen wearing dark clothing.
The second suspect is described as a white or Hispanic man in his 30s, approximately 6 feet tall and 150 to 175 pounds with straight black hair.
The following credit union and bank robberies have been linked to the High Country Bandits:
- Sept. 8, Bank of the West, 1945 Highway 260, Heber, Ariz.
- Sept. 22, First National Bank of Durango, 351 Bayfield Center Drive, Bayfield, Colo.
- Oct. 14, Arizona Central Credit Union, 1948 S. Woodland Village Blvd., Flagstaff, Ariz.
- Oct. 30, Country Bank, 3044 N. Glassford Hill Road, Prescott Valley, Ariz.
- Nov. 10, First Community Bank, 19390 Highway 314, Belen, N.M.
- Nov. 25, Compass Bank, 613 S. Beeline Highway, Payson, Ariz.
- Dec. 3, Chase Bank, 5305 S. Superstition Mtn. Drive, Gold Canyon, Ariz.
- Dec. 4, Compass Bank, 781 E. White Mountain Blvd., Pinetop, Ariz.
- Dec. 15, Wells Fargo Bank, 12140 N. Dove Mountain Blvd., Marana, Ariz.
- Dec. 22, Bank of the San Juans, 1710 Main St., Durango, Colo.
- Jan. 25, Sunwest Bank, 822 N. Humphreys, Flagstaff, Ariz.
- Feb. 5, Community Banks of Colorado, 1438 E. Main St., Cortez, Colo.
Contact the nearest FBI office or call the Phoenix FBI at 602-279-5511 with any information about the identity of the High Country Bandits.
