Bank robbed for second time in weeks

A man wearing a wig and glasses robbed a Costa Mesa bank at gunpoint about 9 a.m. Tuesday, police said.

It was the second robbery at the Citibank location in the 2700 block of Harbor Boulevard in less than a month.

On Oct. 9, a man entered the Citibank and produced a note demanding money, police said.

The man did not show a weapon but threatened that he had one, Costa Mesa police Sgt. Matt Grimmond said at the time.

During Tuesday’s robbery, the suspect pulled out a handgun, pointed it at a female teller and demanded that she fill a bag with money, according to a news release from police. The suspect forced a second teller to do the same.

The robber then demanded that workers open the bank’s vault and produce large bills, according to a bank employee who asked not to be named, citing uncertainty about Citibank’s policy.

When the workers said they didn’t have access to the vault, “that’s when [the robber] got frustrated and annoyed and left the scene,” the employee said.

The suspect fled through doors on the bank’s west side and ran east toward an apartment building, police said.

Tuesday’s robber was white, 6 feet 3 and about 250 pounds, police said.

Police described the Oct. 9 robber as white, 20 to 30 years old, 6 feet tall and 180 pounds. He appeared to be wearing a dark brown wig, they added.

Officials did not confirm any connection between the two robberies.

Police stopped a car they thought was related to the robbery, but officials later confirmed the driver wasn’t involved.