Crime & Safety

'Ho-Hum Bandit,' Alleged to Have Hit Banks in Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar, Nabbed in Colorado

The man was wanted in connection with a dozen bank robberies in Southern California.

A man suspected of pulling off a dozen Southern California bank robberies—including  the U.S. Bank branch in Laguna Beach and Citibank in Corona del Mar—is now behind bars in Denver, the FBI confirmed today.

Adam Lynch, 34, was taken into custody this week and is suspected of being the "Ho-Hum Bandit,'' according to Dave Joly, an FBI spokesman in Denver. Details of Lynch's arrest in Denver were not immediately available. Lynch has been on the run for the last year, authorities said.

According to the FBI, the suspect got his nickname because of his bland appearance and investigators theorized the Ho-Hum Bandit moved on to Colorado in December after a serial bank robbery suspect matching his description popped up there. 

Find out what's happening in Laguna Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

FBI agents in Colorado had nicknamed their robber the ''JV Bandit Gone Bad,'' because he looks young. He was wanted there for eight holdups last year in Denver, Fort Collins and Boulder.

 The "Ho Hum Bandit'' hit his 12th Southern California bank on July 24 of last year, robbing the U.S. Bank branch at 310 Glenneyre Street in Laguna Beach. It marked the second time in a month that he had targeted that location. The day before, he held up a Citibank branch in Corona del Mar at 3021 E. Coast Highway, the same branch he robbed June 11, according to the FBI.

Find out what's happening in Laguna Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But most of the holdups have taken place in San Diego County, where the Ho-Hum Bandit appeared to have started his robbery spree in February 2010 with a robbery of a National Bank branch.

Other holdups attributed to the Ho-Hum Bandit include:  San Diego National Bank, on March 9;  Chase Bank, San Diego, on March 25; Citibank, San Diego, on April 2;  Citibank, La Jolla, on April 8; Citibank, San Diego, on May 8; Wells Fargo, San Diego, on June 5; U.S. Bank, Laguna Beach, on June 23 and Bank of America, Cathedral City, on July 15.

City News Service contributed to this report.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.