Ex-LAPD detective suspected of being Snowbird Bandit was a heavy gambler, FBI says - Los Angeles Times
And for investigators who suspect the white-haired 70-year-old of being the Snowbird Bandit responsible for five bank robberies, that goes a long way in explaining his motivation. Adair remained jailed Friday, days after his wife, daughter and son-in-law called authorities to report that he was the elusive bank robber, according to the affidavit filed in U. S. District Court. Adair’s family members saw recent news reports about the Snowbird Bandit and recognized the suspect in surveillance photographs. When Adair was arrested Wednesday in a parking lot in Rancho Santa Margarita, investigators found $1,120 in Del Mar race track betting receipts inside his red 2010 Dodge Nitro, according to the affidavit. At the police station, deputies showed Adair surveillance photographs from one of the robberies, and he allegedly said: “I’m cooked, I think I should have a lawyer. Adair was named in a criminal complaint accusing him of stealing $1,658 from the First Citizens Bank in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday. In a federal affidavit issued Friday, FBI Special Agent Christopher Gicking said the former Rampart Division detective was the bandit who walked into the bank, approached the teller and presented a demand note. During the robbery, Gicking said, the bandit wore a light green shirt, eyeglasses and a tan fedora. The Snowbird Bandit had been the subject of a manhunt by the FBI and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department since March, according to the affidavit. Source: www.latimes.com
