An armed robber wearing a “Day of the Dead”-type mask, who held up a Wells Fargo Bank, may be charged with cultural appropriation, in addition to bank robbery.
According to a press release by the Santa Monica Police Department, on Sept. 10, a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt, gloves, and a skull mask similar to one that represents the Mexican holiday, entered a Wells Fargo location in the beachside Los Angeles suburb.
Holding a shotgun, the man demanded cash in amounts varying between $3,000 and $5,000, and ran, jumping an 8-foot fence outside. According to the Santa Monica Observer, a witness said the robber jumped into a red SUV waiting in an alley.
Eighty police officers from neighboring towns Beverly Hills and Inglewood and from Los Angles county, including the sheriff’s department, also responded to the scene, reported the Santa Monica Observer.
No one was injured in the robbery. Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) are searching for the suspect, who is also wanted for bank robbery and assault.