Suburban Man Arrested for Bank Robberies in Chicago Loop
A suburban man, identified as Jason Paniagua, is facing federal bank robbery charges after allegedly robbing a Citibank branch in the Loop twice within a span of two weeks. The FBI was able to track down Paniagua after the first robbery but only managed to arrest him after he struck the same bank at 69 West Washington for the second time on Tuesday morning.
During the first robbery on March 27, Paniagua managed to steal $340 from the teller by demanding all the money in the top drawer within three seconds, specifically asking for $50 and $100 bills. However, he only got the $340 from the main teller drawer as he instructed the teller not to reach for the drawer containing larger bills.
After the robbery, Paniagua reportedly changed his pants inside a nearby synagogue and discarded other clothing near the bank’s entrance. He then sought the assistance of a hotel doorman to arrange a cab ride to the suburbs, where he was taken to a liquor store in Harvey and eventually checked into the Starlite Motel in Lansing under the alias “Joseph A. Diniggued.”
Authorities were able to identify Paniagua through interviews with the cab driver and liquor store clerk, as well as surveillance footage from the motel showing him wearing distinctive clothing. Despite being spotted by law enforcement the day after the first robbery, Paniagua was not immediately arrested.
On Tuesday morning, Paniagua returned to the same bank and demanded money from a teller, brandishing what appeared to be a gun made out of a toilet paper tube. The teller complied, handing over $100 in $5 bills, while the bank manager alerted the police and Paniagua was apprehended after getting into a cab.
Upon his arrest, officers recovered $50 in $5 bills from Paniagua and an additional $55 in $5 bills from the cab driver. Paniagua confessed to robbing the bank on Tuesday due to losing his job at Walmart but denied involvement in the previous robbery on March 27.
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