Sep. 22--PALM BEACH COUNTY -- A lunch-hour bank robber suspected of hitting more than a half dozen Palm Beach County banks since May struck again Monday, the latest victim the TD Bank on West Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton.

The middle-aged man doesn't brandish a weapon, but instead presents a note ordering the teller to hand over the money from the drawer, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. Though he tries to change his look with accessories like a baseball cap, eyeglasses or a goatee, video surveillance photos show a lanky man about six-feet tall who looks strikingly similar in each one.

He typically makes off with about $600, with the exception of the May robbery of the Mercantile Bank on Powerline Road in Boca Raton. The robber stole $11,000 in that case.

So far a man matching the suspect's description has robbed a total of nine banks in various jurisdictions, including Sterling Bank in Lantana, Peninsula Bank in Delray Beach and several banks in both incorporated and unincorporated Boca Raton -- Mercantile Bank, Wachovia, First Southern, National City and two SunTrust branches.

The four agencies involved -- the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Delray, Boca Raton and Lantana police -- are "banding together and trying to get the word out" to try and catch the robber, said sheriff's office spokeswoman Teri Barbera.

Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the FBI typically does not investigate bank robberies that don't involve a weapon, according to FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela.

"In 2001 our top priority became preventing terrorist attacks and using a measured response that depends on the measure of violence," she said. "If it's a note job, we don't take those as much any more."

According to FBI statistics, through August, there have been 25 bank robberies in Palm Beach County, 14 in Broward and 10 in Miami-Dade. While the FBI doesn't investigate them all, the agency tries to track them for statistical purposes, though there are some cases that fall through the cracks, she said.

Missy Diaz can be reached at mdiaz@SunSentiel.com or 561-228-5505.

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