Skateboarding Robbing banks is not a crime

A good friend of mine once came to visit with a guy she was dating who turned out the be the Choir Boy Robber. After a quick change of clothes, he would make his getaway on a fancy track bike. The way they caught him was simple really. He had to ditch his bike once cause he got spooked. The bike was a tricked out custom job, not a Trek or Specialized that could be bought anywhere. The fuzz canvassed bike shops and one of them ID’ed him as Tom Justice. So he’s in jail now, gets out in about 4 more years I heard. He was kind of a dick to my friend. On the surface he was personable and interesting to talk to, but something about him always seemed suspect. We thought he was a dealer, actually. There were no bank robberies during his stay with us in Portland. Want to learn more about the Choir Boy Robber? There supposedly was an article written about him in Details magazine, and he’s got a page on Friendster. Holy cow, is Friendster still around? What’s the point of this? Oh yeah, some guys have been robbing banks and making getaways on skateboards. This and other unusual skateboard crimes after the jump.

Interesting crimes on a skateboard.

Man carrying skateboard robs bank
From the North County Times: February 8, 2008

CARLSBAD —- A man carrying a demand note and a skateboard robbed a Carlsbad bank on Thursday evening, authorities said… …The suspect, who carried a long skateboard, was described as being about 25 years old and 180 pounds with dark hair. He wore dark jeans, white tennis shoes and a black hooded sweatshirt with a large red logo on the front and a design on the right side of the hood.

A longboard eh? Don’t let anyone tell you longboarders are not hard core!

Woodland Bank Robbed By Skateboarding Suspect
From CBS 13: August 27, 2007

The employees of River City Bank at 199 Main Street have been struck with two bank robberies in the last two months. During this Monday morning robbery, Woodland Police say a man walked into the bank without a weapon, and robbed it. However, this bank robber did not have a the usual get-away car waiting outside. He had a skateboard under his arm.

Police seek information on bank robbery suspect
From the Honolulu Advertiser: July 16th, 2007

Honolulu police are seeking information on a man who robbed Bank of Hawaii’s Kalihi branch Friday… …The robbery occurred at 2:20 p.m. According to police, the suspect was wearing a black beanie cap, a tan long-sleeve shirt over a red T-shirt with “adidas” displayed on the front and dark pants. He also was carrying a skateboard.

Just imagine if he was wearing a Nike Shirt. B.K. could not be reached for comment.

What if you just robbed a bank and need a sympathetic soul to drive the getaway car? Skateboarders feel your pain, man.

Man robs bank branch, pays $100 for ride away
From the San Diego Union Tribune, December 23rd, 2007:

After receiving an undisclosed sum, the robber then reportedly walked to Hanger 94, a surf and skateboard shop about a block away. He asked employees and customers if anyone wanted to earn $100, police said. A man about 20 years old accepted the offer, they said.

Skateboarding burglar sent to juvie jail
From Krqe.com, Albuquerque, NM – Aug 7, 2007:

…is not your average kid. He is known as both a local skateboarding legend and as the Big Box Bandit who masterminded a half million dollars in commercial heists… …Up until very recently, [redacted] had a promising future in the world of skateboarding.

Hey, skateboards aren’t just for high profile crime getaways.

Police beat: Getaway on skateboard
From Huntington Local, Huntington Beach, CA:

A store owner on Broadway told police a youngster stole a can of soda yesterday and made his getaway on his skateboard.

A youngster stole a can of soda pop!!! Oh no!, was it the sarsaparilla? Good thing he didn’t get get any Eskimo Pies or penny candy root beer suckers.

They can also be used for your garden variety purse snatching-type robberies.

What if you are just bored?

Zoo break-in reported
From CNJonline – Jan 22 2008:

A break-in at the zoo appears to be the result of bored youth looking for a place to skateboard, zoo officials said.

Wheelchair thefts, vandalism hit Waikato
Stuff.co.nz – New Zealand

In recent times wheelchairs have been found ruined at a local skateboard bowl, in the Waikato River and in one case a chair was being used to deliver …

And finally, it’s bad enough when you get a ticket for breaking the law…

‘Citations’ for law-abiding riders
From the Selma Enterprise – Selma,CA,USA

If your child brings home a ticket from the Selma Police Department in the month of February, don’t be alarmed. That’s because officers are now on the look-out for kids who are wearing their helmets and knee pads when riding their skateboard and bikes. And instead of issuing citations, the police are handing out raffle tickets to those law-abiding skaters and bikers. “If an officer sees a kid with their safety gear on they’ll stop them and hand out a flyer and a raffle ticket,” explained Selma Police Officer Paul Ross, who came up with the raffle ticket idea.

The Choir Boy Robber

Looks like this guy actually knew him and would hang out with him. He’s writing a song about him.