Police: Royal Oak, Birmingham Robberies, Other Nearby Stick-Ups May Be Connected

Birmingham Police believe there may be a connection between Friday's robbery of the Comerica Bank on West Maple and several similar robberies in the area, including two in Royal Oak.

On Friday, a masked man wearing all black robbed the Comerica Bank at 1712 W. Maple Road, police reports state. The man pulled out a gun during the robbery, police say, and walked out with more than $9,000.

According to Birmingham Lt. Mike Albrect, the detective in charge of the case, Birmingham Police is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigations to catch the man.

Albrect said the robbery might be connected to several other area robberies, including four in Royal Oak, Berkley and Madison Heights.

The FBI has offered a $2,500 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of Oakland County's serial bank robber, who is suspected of being behind the following incidents.

• Jan. 28: Armed robbery for the Charter One bank on Woodward Avenue in Berkley.
• Jan. 15: Robbery of Charter One Bank at 200 S. Main St. in Royal Oak.
• Dec. 26: Robbery of the PNC Bank at 225 S. Main Street in Royal Oak.
• Dec. 20: Robbery of the PNC Bank at 28841 John R. Rd. in Madison Heights

According to the FBI, the same man may have been involved in the Dec. 18 robbery for a 7-11 in Madison Heights.

Albrect couldn't say if Birmingham's bank robber is suspected to be the same man, but the connection is there.

"(The robberies) are similar in nature," he said Monday.

The man who robbed the Birmingham bank Friday was described by witnesses as being five-foot-eight-inches with a thin build. He was wearing a ski mask, black hat, black sweatshirt, black gloves and dark-colored snow pants.

The suspect in the Royal Oak, Berkley and Madison Heights robberies is described as being five-foot-eight inches and six-feet tall with a medium build. During the most recent robbery in Berkley, the robber was dressed all in black and wore a mask that obscured most of his face.