RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The robbers' modus operandi is generally always the same, authorities say: They hand a bank teller a profanity-laced note threatening to shoot if the cash isn't handed over.
There is also one other thing that sets apart the five suspects police have linked to 11 heists in Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside counties since April. They all are women, something that's not a common occurrence in the bank robbery field, say FBI officials.
The most recent of the robberies took place Monday when a bank in Buena Park and another in Diamond Bar were held up.
Other banks have been hit in Riverside, Pomona, Anaheim, West Covina, Duarte and South Pasadena.
Although as many as five suspects are believed to be hitting the banks, the robbers usually work in pairs, police say. One person waits in line to confront the teller while the other stands nearby.