San Diego Police robbery detectives are investigating after a man used a demand note to rob a Mission Valley credit union Friday afternoon.
The incident occurred just minutes before closing time at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Navy Federal Credit Union branch on Rio San Diego Drive.
Responding officers used a tracking device from the bank which led them to a person in the area, who had some of the stolen funds.
To their surprise, however, the person advised officers he was panhandling at a nearby intersection when the suspected robber donated the cash to him, according to Officer Darius Jamsetjee, a spokesperson for the department.
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The panhandler, who identified himself as Timothy to NBC 7, said a man approached him while he was holding a sign asking for "spare change" and asked, "Hey buddy, do you need some money?" and said "Here's a couple hundred bucks," as the suspected robber handed him the money.
Jamsetjee would not specify the amount of cash taken from the credit union, nor if all of the stolen cash was recovered.
The suspect is described by investigators as an older male who appears to be in his 50s with gray hair. He looked to be about 6 feet tall, weighing roughly 200 pounds, cleanshaven and had tattoos on his neck.
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Based on the description of the suspected robber, police believe the same man may also be responsible for robbing the San Diego County Credit Union branch in Mission Valley three days prior.
Timothy said the man appeared to be a "kind, average, everyday person" and did not appear to be a robber.
Both robberies are also under investigation by members of the FBI.
