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The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS — Dallas police and the FBI pursued a group of suspected bank robbers who may be the so-called "scarecrow bandits" after a Richardson bank robbery Monday morning, according to WFAA-TV.
The suspects, who were reported to be wearing full body armor and carrying automatic weapons, were chased by Richardson police through Dallas, according to WFAA-TV.
At least three suspects were believed to be in custody this morning. One of the pursuits ended at a Dallas apartment complex Jupiter and McCree roads, just south of Interstate 635 in Lake Highlands.
At least one other suspect was reported to be involved in a police standoff at Costco in Plano at Park Boulevard and the Dallas North Tollway, WFAA-TV reported.
The FBI and Dallas, Richardson, Garland and Plano police have not released details about the incident.
The "scarecrow bandits" got their name from the loose shirts and floppy hats they wear while robbing banks. However, the outfits have been replaced with mostly black garb recently. They always obscure their faces, sometimes with nylon mesh masks.
They have been held responsible for at least 20 hold ups in North Texas in the last few years.
“That was just what came to mind for us because they looked like scarecrows,” John Wetherington, the special agent in charge of the FBI's bank robbery unit in North Texas, said in April.
Armed with handguns, the robbers usually work in teams of five or six and sometimes vault the teller counter and assault bank employees. They have threatened to kill bank customers in the past.
The robberies take less than two minutes. One bandit leaps over the bank counter. Another guards the door. Others watch those inside the bank.
The Dallas office of the FBI posted a $90,000 reward for information leading to their arrest. That’s a record for bank robbers in the region, an indication of how badly authorities and the banking industry want this crew stopped.

Wire Service

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Posted by: Inspector

Police and the FBI were pursuing a group of suspects, who may be the so-called "scarecrow bandits," after they fled in more than one vehicle after a Richardson bank robbery Monday morning, according to WFAA-TV.
The suspects were reported to be wearing full body armor and carrying automatic weapons, and the chases involved Richardson and Dallas police, according to WFAA-TV.
At least three suspects were believed to have been taken into custody. One of the pursuits ended near a Dallas apartment complex Jupiter Road and Northwest Highway, just south of Interstate 635 in Lake Highlands, where one of the suspects was taken into custody.
At least one other suspect was reported to be involved in a standoff at Costco in Plano at Park Boulevard and the Dallas North Tollway, WFAA-TV reported.
Plano police issued a news release that said there was an incident at the Costco "involving possible robbery suspects possibly heavily armed out of Dallas." The standoff appeared to be over by late morning.
At 11:15 a.m., authorities were still not letting anyone into or out of the Costco, nor were they permitting reporters to speak with the store’s customers.
Dallas police in armored trucks with automatic weapons mounted on them were slowly circling the parking lots of the discount retailer.
FBI spokesman Mark White confirmed that multiple arrests were made this morning, but he would not say whether the suspects were the scarecrow bandits or how many were at large. He also declined to confirm whether the pursuits this morning stemmed from a Richardson bank robbery.
"It's still kind of a dynamic situation right now," he said.
Richardson and Garland police have not released details about the incident. Dallas police said they were only supporting the investigation and referred all questions to the FBI.
The scarecrow bandits got their name from the loose shirts and floppy hats they wear while robbing banks. However, the outfits have been replaced with mostly black garb recently. They always obscure their faces, sometimes with nylon mesh masks.
“That was just what came to mind for us because they looked like scarecrows,” John Wetherington, the special agent in charge of the FBI's bank robbery unit in North Texas, said in April.
They are believed responsible for at least 20 holdups in North Texas in the last few years.
Armed with handguns, the robbers usually work in teams of five or six and sometimes vault the teller counter and assault bank employees. They have threatened to kill bank customers in the past.
The robberies take less than two minutes. One bandit leaps over the bank counter. Another guards the door. Others watch those inside the bank.
The Dallas office of the FBI posted a $90,000 reward for information leading to their arrest. That’s a record for bank robbers in the region.
Staff writer Steve Thompson contributed to this report.


© 2008, The Dallas Morning News, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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