Times Staff Report

VALPARAISO | The man who has been robbing the First National Bank branch at 2904 John Howell Drive every few weeks struck again Tuesday morning.

Tuesday's robbery was the fourth at the bank in less than four months -- and police say all the robberies are believed to be related.

"We're pretty sure it's the same guy, based on the physical description," said Sgt. Michael Grennes, police spokesman.

Police said the robber is a Hispanic man in his mid-20s. He is about 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 180 pounds and has a "stocky" build.

During the latest robbery, which occurred about 10 a.m. Tuesday, the robber handed the clerk a note and got an undisclosed amount of money.

The bank also was robbed July 13, Sept. 14 and Oct. 4. In each of the four robberies, the robber was last seen running westbound from the bank.

Grennes said police were at the bank within 30 seconds after the Tuesday's robbery, but the robber was already gone. Police had a dog attempt to track the robber's scent and the dog was leading officers southwest toward the university area.

Valparaiso police were joined at the scene by Valparaiso University police, Porter County police, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the FBI.

Anyone with information about any of the robberies or who saw anything suspicious in the area at the time of the robberies is asked to call police at (219) 462-2135.