SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The "Geezer Bandit" who committed 16 California bank robberies may actually be a younger man disguised to make him look much older, the FBI said.
After viewing surveillance video from the man's latest heist, at the Bank of America in San Luis Obispo on Dec. 2, the FBI says it appears he may have been faking his appearance, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"The robber was described as someone who appeared to be an elderly white male but may have been wearing a synthetic-like mask and gloves to conceal his true physical characteristics," the FBI said in a statement Wednesday.
The holdup man had become known as the "Geezer Bandit."
A teller at the San Luis Obispo bank managed to slip an exploding dye pack into the plastic bag the robber used to carry his money. The pack exploded outside of the bank, covering the robber, the money and his possible mask and gloves in red dye, agents said.
Surveillance video footage shows that the robber "sprinted away across the bank parking lot," the FBI said.
The man may have escaped in a white BMW.
A search warrant was served on a costume store in the San Luis Obispo area, seeking a list of all customers who bought a mask known as "The Elder."
The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the robber's arrest.
"He's armed and dangerous," said FBI Special Agent Darrell Foxworth, noting the robber carried a gun.