Alleged 'Lumberjack Bandit' in Custody

Mauricio Enriquez, who has been linked to two recent bank robberies in Culver City, will return to federal court for a preliminary hearing Sept. 3 in a separate case concerning the robbery of a Wells Fargo bank in downtown Los Angeles. 

Enriquez, who is allegedly the "Lumberjack Bandit," will be charged with one count of bank robbery in the Wells Fargo incident, which occurred August 18.

Dubbed the Lumberjack Bandit because of witness descriptions of a man with a beard and certain clothing, Enriquez, 28, has been implicated in the robbery of a Chase Bank on Sepulveda Boulevard on Aug. 13, in addition to a Wells Fargo bank robbery on Washington Boulevard on  Aug. 12. In addition to the Culver City robberies, he has also been connected to two additional Los Angeles bank robberies, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. 

"The government will present a federal grand jury with evidence linking Mr. Enriquez to multiple robberies," Laura Eimiller, public affairs specialist for the FBI, said of Enriquez.

Enriquez is in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, and will remain there until his next court date. He was denied bail by a U.S. magistrate judge last week, according to Thom Mrozek, public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney's Office. Enriquez was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly attempted to rob a Wells Fargo bank on Adams Street in downtown Los Angeles.

When he entered the Wells Fargo, according to the Los Angeles Sherriff's Department website, employees recognized Enriquez from bank surveillance photos. As he drew a handgun, two undercover security guards commanded him to surrender and apprehended him, the press release said. No shots were fired. 

The security guards were two retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies, according to Capt. Mike Parker of the LASD.

The FBI has "taken over the whole case" due to the number of bank crimes in question, said Lt. Ronald Iizuka of the Culver City Police Department.

Unless there is an indictment issued by a federal grand jury before Sept. 3, Enriquez will have his preliminary hearing on that date, with an arraignment Sept. 7.