ENCINITAS, Calif. -- A man believed to be the so-called "Drywaller Bandit,'' a serial thief responsible for a six-month spree of armed bank robberies in San Diego and Los Angeles counties, was captured Thursday following his 11th alleged holdup.
John Leendert Oskam was arraigned Friday on two federal charges and ordered held without bail pending a hearing Tuesday before Magistrate Judge Jan Adler. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Ko asked for detention, saying Oskam was a danger to the community.
Oskam, 39, of Pasadena, is charged with armed bank robbery and use and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
The defendant, who said little during his brief court appearance Friday.
About 9:15 a.m. Thursday, a thief wearing a dust mask and armed with a pistol robbed a Chase Bank branch office in the 100 block of North El Camino Real in Encinitas, sheriff's Lt. Jim Walker said. The bank is within view of the Encinitas Sheriff's station. The frequency of the robberies prompted the FBI to form a joint task force with the Sheriff's Department.
"It was a concern of ours how brazen, he was armed and dangerous," said FBI agent Scott Gicking. "The fact that he was hitting the banks in rapid fairly rapid succession every week or two."
A few minutes later, arriving deputies spotted a man matching the description of the robber walking to the east near the bank. Seeing the patrol personnel, he broke into a run.
The deputies caught up with the suspect a short distance away, at Encinitas Boulevard and Village Square Drive, and took him into custody. Authorities say the bandit was carrying a loaded gun.
"They were able to catch him rather fast," said Encinitas Sheriff's Station Capt. Sherri Sarro. "He wasn't able to pull out the gun out of his pocket; they were able to tackle him and actually take the gun out of his pocket."
Oskam was taken to the Encinitas Sheriff's Station to be interviewed. He is expected to be booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center and arraigned in U.S. District Court in San Diego.
The "Drywaller Bandit,'' so named by investigators due to the type of construction-style mask he wore during his crimes, is believed to have robbed the following banking offices, several of them twice:
- Citibank, 161 W. California Blvd., Pasadena, Aug. 13;
- Wells Fargo, 350 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, Aug. 24;
- US Bank, 1074 N. El Camino Real, Encinitas, Sept. 24 and Dec. 21;
- Wells Fargo, 276 N. El Camino Real, Encinitas, Oct. 25;
- Citibank, 113 N. El Camino Real, Encinitas, Nov. 19 and Dec. 27;
- Chase, 615 College Blvd., Oceanside, Dec. 8;
- Citibank, 4120 Oceanside Blvd., Jan. 8;
- US Bank, 4136 Oceanside Blvd., Jan. 25; and
- Chase, 105 N. El Camino Real, Encinitas, Feb. 3.
The thief wielded a black handgun during each of the robberies, according to the FBI.
