Palm Beach County Sheriff’s (PBSO) deputies have arrested a man believed to be behind a string of five bank robberies in three days last week.
Photos show police cars and yellow tape blocking off a Wells Fargo bank in Palm Springs Thursday morning. Authorities say the 911 call came in around 9:30 a.m.
A man later identified as Daniel Cruz, 51, allegedly went up to a teller’s window holding his waistband and demanded cash.
A similar situation happened the very next day at a nearby PNC Bank.
According to the police report, the suspect walked in wearing the same clothes and threatened to shoot everyone in sight if they didn’t do what he asked.
Another customer in line claims that Cruz showed her a glimpse of his pistol but never pulled it out.
The FBI has been tracking bank robberies since the 1930s, documenting the steady decline over the last few decades.
The most recent data shows that 1,400 commercial U.S. banks were robbed in 2022, which is roughly a third of the 3,900 robberies documented in 2012.
Experts say there are countless possible reasons to explain the shift. For one, it isn’t as lucrative as it used to be with most banks now carrying less cash.
Another possibility is with the high-tech surveillance systems now being used, it’s easier for police to catch criminals.
Authorities were able to identify Cruz by presenting photo arrays to both victims and witnesses.
The FBI database shows photos of unidentified bank robbers across the country. Currently, there aren’t any in Florida.
Cruz made his first appearance at the Palm Beach County Courthouse Tuesday. He’s facing charges for all five robberies without a firearm.
While police say he repeatedly threatened both employees and customers, he never pulled out a weapon. There were no reported injuries.
Cruz is being held at the county jail on a $250,000 bond.
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