Two black Friday bank heists and one attempt may be linked

PLANT CITY -- Local law enforcement agencies are searching for a man they believe was involved in two bank robberies and one failed attempt on Friday, according to Plant City Police.

At 10 a.m., a man rode up to Colonial Bank at 1707 S. Parsons Ave. in Brandon on a bicycle and tried to conceal his face with a ski mask or wig, said J.D. Callaway, a spokesman for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office. Colonial Employees locked the doors before he could enter and the man rode away on the bike to a silver SUV before driving away.

An hour later, a man with a similar description and clothing, sporting a fake beard, arrived at the Regions Bank in Plant City at 2303 N. Thonotosassa Road on a bicycle, said Lt. Jerry Stwan, of Plant City Police.

He walked in, showed a gun and demanded money, Stwan said. The robber left the bank on a bike but Plant City officers arrived within minutes with helicopter and K-9 units, so the robber dropped the bike and the cash in the bushes north of the plaza and eluded arrest, Stwan said.

And just after 1 p.m., a man with a similar description to the Plant City and Brandon robbers entered a Synovus Bank at 4003 W. Neptune in Tampa and brandished a gun. He told everyone get on the floor and told the tellers to give him money, said Tampa Police in a news release.

He left the bank on foot.

"We think they might all be connected," Stwan said.

If you have any information about any of these crimes, please call Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-8477.

--Robbyn Mitchell, Times staff writer