Suspected 'Drifter Bandit' Behind Bars In OC
SANTA ANA (CBS) — A man suspected in a series of bank robberies since May was behind bars in Santa Ana.
Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino says 45-year-old Michael David Marano of Santa Ana was arrested about 11 a.m. Friday as he left a home where he was staying with a woman.
Detectives call him a career criminal and believe he is the so-called "Drifter Bandit," suspected in two robberies that date back to May and another two this week.
"He's a career criminal with a long, extensive criminal record for robbery, theft and drug charges," Amormino said.
In two of the heists, the bandit threatened tellers with a gun, Amormino said. For the other two stickups, he did not show a gun but threatened that he had one, the spokesman said.
The Drifter Bandit got the moniker because of his unkempt appearance, Amormino said.
"The only place he'll be drifting now is from Orange County jail to a federal prison," he said.
(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
