OXNARD : Bank Robbery Is County’s 48th in ’95

A man wearing a ski mask and gloves held up a First Interstate Bank in Oxnard on Thursday--the 48th bank robbery in Ventura County this year, according to the FBI.

The robber, described as a Latino in his mid-20s, about 5 feet, 5 inches tall with a slim build, entered the bank about 12:15 p.m. wearing a blue ski mask, blue sweatshirt, gloves, jeans and gray shoes, said Gary Auer, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Ventura office.

He brandished a pistol, told the customers to drop to the floor, and robbed two tellers. As he exited on foot, he spilled money across the bank’s parking lot, Auer said.

The FBI is checking to see whether the man matches descriptions of other bank robbers, but Auer said he did not believe the robber had ever struck in Ventura County before.

“It is believed this is the first time he has robbed a bank in this county,” Auer said. “There were some similar robberies in the Conejo Valley, but we believe that was a different person.”