'Granddad Bandit' caught by FBI

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - The man dubbed "Granddad Bandit" by the FBI and suspected in two dozen bank robberies across 13 states was captured Wednesday at his Baton Rouge home after a lengthy standoff that ended peacefully, authorities said.

Police and FBI agents surrounded the home Wednesday morning and nearly six hours later walked out with a stocky, balding man with graying hair and glasses, who was surrounded by officers and put into a police car.

The FBI identified him to the public for the first time as 52-year-old Michael Mara.

FBI Special Agent Howard Schwartz said Mara was arrested on a warrant for a bank robbery in Richmond, Virginia. He was picked up from the modest, cream-colored house after officials received tips from the public. Schwartz said he didn't know how long Mara lived at the home and declined to say more about the tips that led authorities there.

"We were aware of him probably since Friday," Schwartz said.

Officials said Mara would be placed in the custody of the US Marshal's Service and would appear before a magistrate judge in Baton Rouge before being transferred to Virginia to face the federal charges.

Last week, the FBI began posting pictures of the "Granddad Bandit" on billboards across the country, saying he was connected to a string of robberies dating back to a 2008 holdup.

He is believed to have robbed banks all over the eastern and central U.S., including in Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, Kansas, New York, Florida, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri - but not in Louisiana.

It was unclear if the robber was actually a grandfather. FBI agents said the nickname was devised to help law enforcement and the public easily identify the suspect.

"He just looks like everyone's granddad," FBI supervisory special agent Amanda Moran said last week.

In the robberies, the suspect waited patiently in line and handed the teller a note. Sometimes, he gestured that he had a weapon, although agents said there was no indication he ever actually used one. Once his demands were met, he exited quietly, fleeing on foot.

"If he was standing behind you in the teller line while you're waiting for teller service you wouldn't give him a second look," Moran said. "He blends well with people, and his look reminds you of the fatherly granddad."

-AP