GLENDALE : Suspect in 4-Year String of Armed Robberies Seized

A 59-year-old Glendale man described by police as “just like anybody’s grandfather” was in custody Thursday for suspicion of a four-year string of at least 30 armed robberies that netted about $500,000.

Edwin W. Loftus, reportedly a self-employed telecommunications expert, was arrested after a high-speed chase from Glendale to Hollywood. Police allege that he is the so-called Old Man Bandit, who has alluded detectives despite dozens of stakeouts.

The bandit, who usually wore a fishing hat and wire-rim glasses, typically stood at the door of a bank and waited for a victim--most often a restaurant employee depositing business receipts, Glendale Police Investigator Larry Cobb said.

The arrest came after police staked out a bank on San Fernando Road.