Banks get holiday greeting while being robbed
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) -- This thief is charmed, not armed.
Police say a bank robber has used his good manners to rob thousands of dollars, usually wishing tellers a Merry Christmas before he steals the money.
He walks into a bank, always unarmed, approaches a teller and offers a warm greeting, police said.
"I hope you have a Merry Christmas," he says as he hands over a note demanding money.
Police said the note says, "I am a robber, give me all the money, don't give me any dye pack, you have 20 seconds."
The man then takes the cash, puts it in his own envelope and calmly leaves. Police suspect he hit banks in Broward and Miami-Dade counties over the past month. The latest strike came Monday at a Wachovia Bank in Hollywood, when he walked off with more than $5,000.
"In all of them he is extremely polite," Hollywood Police Capt. Tony Rode said. "Notwithstanding his polite manners, we consider him a dangerous felon."