BREAKING NEWS

An armed man suspected of robbing seven banks in the Orange County area held up a Huntington Beach bank today and fled in an unknown direction, Huntington Beach Police and federal investigators said.

At 4:15 p.m., a man the FBI has dubbed the “Skinny Legs Bandit” allegedly walked into the Bank of the West at 6881 Warner Ave., brandished a handgun and demanded money. He then fled, and his whereabouts are unknown at this time, police said.

The suspect — a white male, 40 to 50, 5 feet, 8 inches tall — is known for what witnesses describe as scrawny, skinny legs and is often seen wearing shorts, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

According to police, he was seen wearing a dirty yellow shirt and a short wig under a cap, although he has been described as bald by witnesses of other alleged robberies, Eimiller said.

Of the seven robberies the man is suspected of committing, six were in Huntington Beach, with some banks robbed more than once, Eimiller said.

This is the second time the bank on Warner has been allegedly hit by the bandit, Eimiller said. The bank was also robbed on Sept. 18, reportedly by the same man, she said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (714) 536-5951.