Corning robbery linked to Colusa bank heist?

There was no additional information released Tuesday about an armed robbery at the Bank of America in Corning a day earlier.

A man, described as 6 feet tall, between 50 and 70 years old, with a gray mustache, entered the bank at Solano and Fifth streets about 2:10 p.m., approached a teller, displayed a dark handgun, and ordered her to put money into a white plastic bag he brought with him, the Corning police reported.

The man exited the bank and left in an unknown direction, and escaped with an undisclosed amount of money.

An extensive search by area law enforcement officials did not locate the man, who was last seen wearing blue jeans, a plaid short-sleeved shirt and a tan ball cap.

The FBI is involved in the investigation.

The circumstances of the robbery are similar to one that took place in Colusa on Aug. 31, which would make those circumstances strangely close to another pair of robberies in March 2011.

A man, described as about 50 years old, 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds, entered a US Bank branch in Colusa, displayed a semi-automatic handgun and ordered the teller to put money into a bag he provided.

That man left the branch through the back door and escaped with an undisclosed amount of money.

Police believe is was driving a small red vehicle.

“We are seeing some similarities,” Colusa police Chief Ross Stark said about his recent robbery and the one in Corning.

However, Stark said the suspect in the Colusa case did no have a mustache, and the one on the Corning suspect appears to be more than 10 days old.

The two men also seem to have slightly different builds, Stark said.

“But we are looking into it,” the chief said.

If a connection is ultimately made, it will be the second time that Tehama and Colusa counties have been tied together by bank robberies.

Michael Taylor of Chico robbed an Umpqua Bank in Los Molinos on March 2, 2011, and six days later hit the same US Bank in Colusa.

His got away with $8,647 from Umpqua and $4,857 from the Colusa bank. It is believed he gambled all the money away.

Taylor was arrested at his Chico home on March 9, and ultimately sentenced in federal court to five years in prison.

A Stockton bank also was robbed on Monday, but police do not believe there is any connection to either the Colusa or the Corning robberies.