Bank Robbery Case - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

DarthMaul · 01-18-2007, 06:11 PM

I'm looking for information on a case I have not seen since I was younger. It was a bank robbery case where the police had the bank surrounded and when they finally went inside the robbers were gone. They couldn't find any tunnels and they checked the whole bank but there was no sign of the them. Sorry the description isn't very good but it was a long time ago when I saw it. Can anyone help with any information at all? Thanks.

DarthMaul · 01-23-2007, 11:23 PM

Bump to see if anyone has any idea what I'm talking about.

dynoguy88 · 01-24-2007, 12:44 AM

I do remember a case involving a bank robbery where the police surrounded the bank but the robber was able to escape through an underground tunnel that ran under the vault. That might be the case you're thinking of.

This case was officially closed because the robber died within a year.

Awsi Dooger · 01-24-2007, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarthMaul

I'm looking for information on a case I have not seen since I was younger. It was a bank robbery case where the police had the bank surrounded and when they finally went inside the robbers were gone. They couldn't find any tunnels and they checked the whole bank but there was no sign of the them. Sorry the description isn't very good but it was a long time ago when I saw it. Can anyone help with any information at all? Thanks.

That was a Bill Murray movie, "Quick Change"

DarkDante · 01-24-2007, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynoguy88

I do remember a case involving a bank robbery where the police surrounded the bank but the robber was able to escape through an underground tunnel that ran under the vault. That might be the case you're thinking of.

This case was officially closed because the robber died within a year.

I remember it a bit differently, there were two robbers both men who authorities theorized had either been long time friends or possibly army buddies. They likely had some experience in the construction industry in order to gain access to the unique tools they would've needed to pull off the robbery. Interestingly enough dyno, someone posted on here last year that they have a good reason to believe one of the "tunnel robbers" was her late uncle. I also remember the case had no resolution at the time of the UM segment as Stack closed the segment by saying that "the storm drains around Los Angeles were now monitored to prevent further people from tunneling their way to a fortune"

SiberianKiss · 01-24-2007, 01:32 AM

nm

Awsi Dooger · 01-24-2007, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiberianKiss

that was me! and no my uncles weren't the tunnel bandits much to my dismay, they fit the profile though.

the hole in the ground gang is the best UM EVER. I WILL find the guys who were involved, count on it. And when I do I will write a book about them.

if you have any questions about these bank heists, ask me I know everything about them

Barnes and Noble.com has the book by Rehder that mentions the storm water robbers on sale for $3.98. Paperback.

A month or two ago I read that the famous crime novelist and writer Michael Connelly actually used that case as the basis for his novel, Black Echo. On his first day in Los Angeles after moving from Florida, the local newspapers had articles regarding that heist.

clj124 · 01-24-2007, 08:28 AM

The storm drainage was not the case the poster is talking about. What I remember the theif went into the bank, but when they came in no one was there. They had no clue how the guy got out, but I do agree with what someone said was the plot of quick change, that is how I always felt the guy got out. It could have also have been someone who worked at the bank who knew a secret place to hide.

Composite Sketch · 01-24-2007, 04:02 PM

You may be thinking of the Super Glue robber, who threw a rock through a back door of a bank to see if it had an alarm. It didn't, so he drilled a hole through the lock 3 days later in the middle of the night, super glued the tellers' alarm buttons and waited for the morning tellers to arrive. He confronted them, handcuffed them inside the vault and robbed the bank of $140,000.

The bank manager saw the robber through the front locked door and called the police. The SWAT team surrounded the bank "within minutes" but never saw the robber leave and went they went inside he wasn't there. Personally I think that UM understated the time it took to surround the bank and the robber left through the back door right after the bank manager saw him, and that the tellers were incorrect in thinking that he was still there afterwards.

That segment had some of my favorite UM cues, which were also in the Unabomber case.

kadrmas15 · 01-24-2007, 04:13 PM

Well those tunnel robbers were truly amazing. They stole millions and millions of dollars. As far as I know they were never caught. I actually think that they could have possibly been workers of the Water and Sewer department in Los Angeles at the time. Was it common knowledge that the storm drains were open and people could tunnel their way in like that? I mean that is very unusual that someone would rob in that way and that shows me great intelligence, patience and planning on the part of the robbers as well as very creative on their parts. I agree with the police theory that it was army buddies doing this or obviously close friends. I mean it had to be guys that worked well together and that also trusted each other very deeply. These were also guys that probably lived in the open, probably held regular jobs and were law abiding so their family and friends not involved in the robberies wouldnt suspect them of anything.

SiberianKiss · 01-24-2007, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Awsi Dooger

Barnes and Noble.com has the book by Rehder that mentions the storm water robbers on sale for $3.98. Paperback.

A month or two ago I read that the famous crime novelist and writer Michael Connelly actually used that case as the basis for his novel, Black Echo. On his first day in Los Angeles after moving from Florida, the local newspapers had articles regarding that heist.

buy it Awsi, it's really good.

yeah Michael Connelly used the real life story as the basis for one of his novels, good stuff. I read Black Echo.

wiseguy182 · 01-25-2007, 12:15 AM

Regarding the super glue robber segment, the SWAT team had a good idea to ensure the safety of one of the two tellers: having the other one lock her in the vault.

DarthMaul · 01-25-2007, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clj124

The storm drainage was not the case the poster is talking about. What I remember the theif went into the bank, but when they came in no one was there. They had no clue how the guy got out, but I do agree with what someone said was the plot of quick change, that is how I always felt the guy got out. It could have also have been someone who worked at the bank who knew a secret place to hide.

This is the one I am talking about not the tunnel robbers. It may be the super glue case I'm not sure. I would need to watch it to know. I know someone posts segments on YouTube so if you have this one could you please upload it. Thanks.

01-18-2007, 06:11 PM	#1
DarthMaul Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 20, 2005 Posts: 6	Bank Robbery Case I'm looking for information on a case I have not seen since I was younger. It was a bank robbery case where the police had the bank surrounded and when they finally went inside the robbers were gone. They couldn't find any tunnels and they checked the whole bank but there was no sign of the them. Sorry the description isn't very good but it was a long time ago when I saw it. Can anyone help with any information at all? Thanks.

01-24-2007, 12:44 AM	#3
dynoguy88 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 01, 2000 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 3,675	reply I do remember a case involving a bank robbery where the police surrounded the bank but the robber was able to escape through an underground tunnel that ran under the vault. That might be the case you're thinking of. This case was officially closed because the robber died within a year.

01-24-2007, 01:32 AM	#6
SiberianKiss Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 08, 2006 Posts: 204	nm
	Last edited by SiberianKiss; 05-08-2015 at 03:09 AM.

01-23-2007, 11:23 PM	#2
DarthMaul Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 20, 2005 Posts: 6	Bump to see if anyone has any idea what I'm talking about.

01-24-2007, 08:28 AM	#8
clj124 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 11, 2006 Posts: 12	The storm drainage was not the case the poster is talking about. What I remember the theif went into the bank, but when they came in no one was there. They had no clue how the guy got out, but I do agree with what someone said was the plot of quick change, that is how I always felt the guy got out. It could have also have been someone who worked at the bank who knew a secret place to hide.

01-24-2007, 04:02 PM	#9
Composite Sketch Staring at you Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 26, 2003 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 304	You may be thinking of the Super Glue robber, who threw a rock through a back door of a bank to see if it had an alarm. It didn't, so he drilled a hole through the lock 3 days later in the middle of the night, super glued the tellers' alarm buttons and waited for the morning tellers to arrive. He confronted them, handcuffed them inside the vault and robbed the bank of $140,000. The bank manager saw the robber through the front locked door and called the police. The SWAT team surrounded the bank "within minutes" but never saw the robber leave and went they went inside he wasn't there. Personally I think that UM understated the time it took to surround the bank and the robber left through the back door right after the bank manager saw him, and that the tellers were incorrect in thinking that he was still there afterwards. That segment had some of my favorite UM cues, which were also in the Unabomber case.

01-24-2007, 04:13 PM	#10
kadrmas15 Retired from Board 03/03/11 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,910	Well those tunnel robbers were truly amazing. They stole millions and millions of dollars. As far as I know they were never caught. I actually think that they could have possibly been workers of the Water and Sewer department in Los Angeles at the time. Was it common knowledge that the storm drains were open and people could tunnel their way in like that? I mean that is very unusual that someone would rob in that way and that shows me great intelligence, patience and planning on the part of the robbers as well as very creative on their parts. I agree with the police theory that it was army buddies doing this or obviously close friends. I mean it had to be guys that worked well together and that also trusted each other very deeply. These were also guys that probably lived in the open, probably held regular jobs and were law abiding so their family and friends not involved in the robberies wouldnt suspect them of anything.

01-25-2007, 12:15 AM	#12
wiseguy182 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 11, 2006 Location: Wendy's salad bar Posts: 7,030	Regarding the super glue robber segment, the SWAT team had a good idea to ensure the safety of one of the two tellers: having the other one lock her in the vault.