Sacramento FBI Arrests Bad Beard Bandit, Who is Suspected of Robbing Eight Northern California Banks

SACRAMENTO, CA—Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Gerardo Orozco Lopez, 28, of Half Moon Bay—suspected of being the “Bad Beard Bandit”—for allegedly committing a series of eight bank robberies in California.
The Bad Beard Bandit struck eight separate Northern California banks over the course of four months and was prominently featured on the FBI’s wanted bank robber website (https://bankrobbers.fbi.gov). The suspect earned his nickname, Bad Beard Bandit, from the FBI because he wore a dark, costume beard of poor quality in an attempt to conceal his identity. While a weapon was reportedly not seen by victims at the banks, the suspect threatened that he had a weapon, increasing concern for the safety of bank personnel and patrons.
The Bad Beard Bandit was wanted for the following robberies:

• November 21, 2013: Bank of the West, 411 W. Main St., Ripon, California
• November 26, 2013: Chase Bank, 123 Spreckels Ave., Manteca, California
• December 3, 2013: Chase Bank, 691 W. 11th St., Tracy, California
• December 4, 2013: Chase Bank, 4520 Dublin Blvd., Dublin, California
• December 10, 2013: Citibank, 395 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, California
• December 18, 2013: Chase Bank, 5142 Stevens Creek Boulevard, San Jose, California
• February 5, 2014: Citibank, 2000 Geer Road, Turlock, California
• February 25, 2014: Citibank, 1995 41st Avenue, Capitola, California

The extensive FBI investigation and arrest is the product of efforts from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Capitola Police Department, Dublin Police Services, Manteca Police Department, Ripon Police Department, San Jose Police Department, Stockton Police Department, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, Sunnyvale Police Department, Tracy Police Department, Turlock Police Department, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Arrest of Adrian Rosa Colon, Jehovanie Miranda-Reyes, and Juan A. Bauza-Saez

SAN JUAN, PR—Special Agent in Charge Carlos Cases of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Juan Division announced the arrest of ADRIAN ROSA-COLON, JEHOVANIE MIRANDA-REYES, and JUAN A. BAUZA-SAEZ. On March 21, 2014, ADRIAN ROSA-COLON, JEHOVANIE MIRANDA-REYES, and JUAN A. BAUZA-SAEZ were taken into custody by the FBI and charged with carjacking.
A federal complaint states that on March 20, 2014, two adults and one minor went to the supermarket Brisas del Toa in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, to purchase groceries. The victims exited the supermarket and began placing groceries into their vehicle. As the victims placed the groceries into their vehicle, ROSA-COLON, MIRANDA-REYES, and BAUZA-SAEZ approached the victims from behind, on foot. ROSA-COLON then placed a weapon, later identified as a black and gray pistol, into the stomach of Victim #1, and demanded her personal belongings and the car. MIRANDA and BAUZA-SAEZ stood beside Victim #2 and Minor Victim, likewise demanding the car from the victims.
The victims surrendered their personal jewelry items, valuables, and car keys to the three subjects. The three subjects then entered the victims’ car and drove away in it, leaving all three victims stranded at the supermarket. The victims immediately reported the crime to bystanders within the supermarket, who notified the Police of Puerto Rico (POPR).
POPR dispatch notified patrol officers in the Toa Alta area of the carjacking, including the description of the vehicle. Approximately 10 minutes after the carjacking, two POPR patrol officers in the vicinity of Toa Alta proceeded on PR-165 towards the Brisas del Toa supermarket. While en route to the supermarket, the officers observed the stolen vehicle being driven on PR-165. The patrol officers notified POPR dispatch that they observed the stolen vehicle and confirmed that it was the stolen vehicle. The POPR officers attempted to stop vehicle, and the subjects driving it refused to stop. The POPR officers initiated pursuit of the stolen vehicle, which traveled towards Dorado on PR-165.
During the POPR pursuit, the stolen vehicle lost control and crashed into a bystander vehicle on PR-165. ROSA-COLON, MIRANDA-REYES, and BAUZA-SAEZ exited the stolen vehicle, and began to flee into a wooded area. The POPR officers observed one of the subjects trip and fall while fleeing. As the subject fell, a weapon dropped from his waistband, later identified as a black and gray plastic/fake pistol, which he left behind.
A POPR helicopter was summoned to aid the search of the wooded area, and ROSA-COLON was apprehended immediately. The POPR patrol officers identified ROSA-COLON as the subject they had seen trip and fall while fleeing from the stolen vehicle, dropping the plastic/fake pistol. MIRANDA-REYES was apprehended by POPR in this wooded area during the early morning hours of March 21, 2014.
In the afternoon of March 21, 2014, BAUZA-SAEZ was turned over to the PRPD Toa Alta Precinct by his father, who informed the officers that his son was the third person involved in the carjacking that occurred the day before.
If convicted, the defendants face up to a maximum of 15 years in prison. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Zenon and is being investigated by the FBI.
The public is reminded that a criminal complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty. The U.S. government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.