Serial bank robber, 71, charged with another heist after release from prison

An elderly serial bank robber who was recently released from prison has allegedly committed yet another heist.

Bruce Edward Bell, 71, entered a Chase bank in Sun Valley, California, on 21 December. Upon entering, he grabbed an employee and pointed a gun at them, forcing them to grant him access to the teller’s office, according to a statement released by the Los Angeles police department.

Bell then allegedly threatened to shoot the employee if he was not granted entry into the secure area. The employee complied. Once inside, Bell ordered another employee to fill his bag with cash, making out with more than $60,000, the police statement said.

Witnesses to the alleged crime told police they saw Bell drive away in a 2002 silver Volvo sedan.

After police conducted a high-risk traffic stop, the cash and black replica firearm were discovered. Bell was taken into custody and arrested on criminal charges related to second-degree robbery and aggravated kidnapping.

Luis Torres, an individual nearby, said he spotted Bell just before the alleged crime took place. Torres told KTLA5: “He was calm. I just saw the guy walking by the store, and I didn’t think he was going to do something bad.”

The LAPD said investigators believe “there are other victims of robbery by Bell who have yet to be identified”.

Before this incident, Bell had robbed four other banks in the past and spent 40 years in federal prisons. Bell was released in July 2021 on supervised release.

After spending more than half of his life incarcerated, Bell is back behind bars in an LAPD jail facility. His bail is set at $1.6m.