A 71-year-old bank robber, who has spent more than 40 years in prison, allegedly struck once again before Christmas.
Los Angeles Police reported that Bruce Edward Bell, a “serial robber”, entered an area in Sun Valley’s 8000 blocks of Vineland Avenue on December 21. Sun Valley is located in the San Fernando Valley, a Los Angeles suburb.
The video provided by the police shows that the robbery occurred at a local bank around 10:10 a.m.
Police reported that Bell, who had a gun in his hand, grabbed a worker and forced him to walk up to a door with restricted access. Bell then demanded entrance into a secured area and threatened the worker.
Police said that Bell, once inside the restricted area of the building, ordered an employee to fill up his bag with money, and then fled with more than $60,000.
The police said that witnesses reported seeing Bell driving away in a silver 2002 Volvo sedan. They then called 911. Cops reported that LAPD officers responded to the call and spotted Bell’s car. They then conducted a high-risk traffic stop. Police stopped Bell and searched his vehicle. They found a replica black gun and $64,000 cash.
USA Today reported that online records showed Bell being held on Wednesday under a $1.6 million bond. It was not immediately clear if Bell retained an attorney.
The paper reported that Bell’s court date is February 9, according to records from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office.
Bell was convicted of four bank robbery crimes and served more than 40 years at the federal correctional department, according to police. Bell was released from prison in July 2021 and was under supervised release when he was arrested.
Police said that they believe there may be other victims of the Bell robbery who are still unknown. Police released Bell’s photos to help identify and contact other victims.
