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The man dubbed the "scanner bandit" appeared in court Monday to face multiple charges of bank robbery, as a judge set a $1 million bail in the case, authorities said.
Garry Allen Reeder, 47, was arrested Friday afternoon in Corona, a day after Orange police issued a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of robbing multiple banks since Dec. 15 in Los Angeles and Orange counties, Orange police Sgt. Dan Adams said.
Reeder has been charged with two counts of felony robbery, one count of felony burglary, one felony count of sending a false bomb and enhancements for using a dangerous or deadly weapon and the use of a firearm, according to Orange County Superior Court records. His Monday arraignment was continued until Feb. 4.
Authorities got a tip Friday that Reeder could possibly be in the area of Sixth and Main streets in Corona. About 1:45 p.m., a Corona police sergeant spotted Reeder standing near a pay phone at Sixth Street and Victoria Avenue, Adams said.
Authorities searched Reeder's room at the Ayres Inn in Corona and found evidence that linked him to robberies, including cash from a robbery in Orange, Adams said.
The scanner bandit last struck at a Bank of America in Orange on Tuesday, sitting down with an employee and opening what looked like a day planner that contained a device that looked like a bomb, with cylinder-shaped objects that resembled flares, wiring and electronic components.
The man, later identified as Reeder, fled with an undisclosed amount of money, leaving the fake bomb behind, police said. The bomb squad was called to the scene, forcing authorities to close the bank and blocking off an adjacent parking lot for several hours as they inspected the device.
The scanner bandit also threatened to use an explosive device at earlier robberies in Torrance, Whittier and Norwalk but took the device with him, authorities say. During the Orange robbery, police believe that he was forced to use both hands to carry out a recycling bin he had filled with cash.
Authorities dubbed the man the scanner bandit after witnesses told them that he carried a radio that looked like a police scanner during the robberies.
FBI officials said Reeder was believed to be robbing banks to support a gambling habit or drug addiction.
Reeder was convicted of robbing a series of banks in Southern California during the 1990s, according to the FBI.
