

Codi Wilson , CP24.com





Toronto police and the Canadian Bankers Association are renewing their hunt for a man wanted in connection with at least 18 bank robberies in Ontario and Calgary over the past four years.

The CBA announced Wednesday it has increased the reward from $20,000 to $50,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a suspect dubbed the “Vaulter Bandit.”

Toronto police believe the man started his heists in York Region in 2010 before moving on to Peel Region, Hamilton and Ottawa. The man is also wanted for robberies in Alberta after he, according to Sgt. Insp. Mike Earl, hit Calgary "like a tornado" by holding up four banks in 10 days back in 2011.

The "Vaulter Bandit," police say, is known for hurdling himself over the counter during robberies before grabbing cash and calmly exiting the building.

After what appears to be a three-year hiatus, police say the suspect resurfaced last month at a TD Bank near Don Mills Road and Lawrence Avenue in Toronto.

Sgt. Insp. Earl told reporters Wednesday that in this most recent incident, the man deviated from his usual approach.

The suspect, dressed in a suit and tie, struck the Toronto bank at 7 a.m. on May 5, just as the employees were unlocking the doors.

Earl said the man forced the employees into the building at gun point and directed them to the vault. Police would not disclose how much money suspect walked away with, saying only that he was "successful" in the robbery.

"Very seldom do we have someone who has covered this much territory and this much time without being apprehended," Earl said.

The investigator said the suspect appears to have a familiarity with the banks he targets, suggesting that he is not impulsive when committing the robberies.

Earl said he believes the man is "hiding in plain sight," and likely needs another job to make a living.

"He is going to be known to neighbours, brothers, sisters and friends. He is probably living a normal life other than committing these crimes," he said.

The man has been described as white, approximately five foot eight to five foot ten and in his 40s or 50s.

Bill Crate, director of security for the Canadian Bankers Association, called robbery a "personal and predatory crime."

“Unpredictability is what makes this crime so dangerous not just for our customers but for our employees," he said.

"It is the risk that this crime poses to innocent people that we are concerned with, not he money that is lost."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Toronto Police Hold-Up Squad at (416) 808-7350 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.