Tracing the path of notorious bank robber ‘The Vaulter’

A man known only as “The Vaulter” is believed to be responsible for 17 bank robberies in Canada.

With nine robberies in Ontario’s York Region, two in the Peel region, four in Calgary, and one each in Hamilton and Ottawa, “The Vaulter” is one of Canada’s most wanted bandits.

Read more: Police launch Canada-wide search for ‘The Vaulter’

The Vaulter bio

Police describe the suspect as a white male, between the ages of 45 to 55, 5’8” to 5’10” and 170 to 190 pounds. He has greying hair and appears to have a calm and polite demeanour during the robberies.

His nickname comes from the way he vaults over the counter in order to quickly pilfer the till. According to police, a typical robbery has “The Vaulter” enter the bank, jump over the counter, emptying the money into a bag and then fleeing the scene. He has also been seen carrying a firearm in most of the robberies.

However, in the last three robberies his methods have evolved. Now, police say, he is doing his homework, waiting for employees to enter the bank as it’s opening, then following them in. Once inside he engaged the employees in a confrontation. This proved unsuccessful in two of the three latest robberies, as the employees were able to fight off the suspect.

Police believe that the perpetrator is intentionally avoiding Toronto because he is known to the police.

With no leads as to who the suspect might be, the Canadian Bankers Association is currently offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the capture of “The Vaulter.”

York Regional Police is asking anyone with information related to the suspect to contact the Hold-Up Unit at 1-866-876-5423 ext. 6630 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The Vaulter timeline

York Region, Ontario

• February 3, 2010 at the Royal Bank on 8165 Yonge Street in Markham, ON.
• February 4, 2010 at the TD Canada Trust on 231 Main Street North in Markham, ON.
• June 7, 2010 at the Scotiabank on 101 Main Street North, Markham, ON.
• June 11, 2010 at the Scotiabank on 7700 Bathurst Street in Vaughan, ON.
• August 20, 2010 at the Scotiabank on 9600 Islington Avenue in Vaughan, ON.
• August 20, 2010 at the TD Canada Trust on 154 Woodbridge Avenue in Vaughan, ON.

Peel Region, Ontario

• August 30, 2010 at the Scotiabank on 1825 Dundas Street East in Mississauga, ON.
• September 1, 2010 at the Scotiabank on 660 Eglinton Avenue West, Mississauga, ON.

Hamilton, Ontario

• September 9, 2010 at the Scotiabank on 1070 Stone Church Road East in Hamilton, ON.

York Region

• September 11, 2010 at the Scotiabank on 1580 Elgin Mills Road in Richmond Hill, ON.
• September 20, 2010 Canadian Bankers Association offer reward of $10,000 for information leading to his arrest

Calgary, Alberta

• February 4, 2011 at the Scotiabank on 4805 Centre Street North in Calgary, AB.
• February 8, 2011 at the Scotiabank on 873 85^th Street South West in Calgary, AB.
• February 10, 2011 at the Scotiabank on 6449 Crowchild Terrace South West in Calgary, AB.
• February 14, 2011 at the Scotiabank on 4110 Brentwood Road North West in Calgary, AB.

York Region, Ontario

• May 4, 2011 at the HSBC on 1420 Major Mackenzie Drive in Vaughan, ON. (UNSUCCESSFUL)

Ottawa, Ontario

• May 8, 2011 at a bank on the 3600 block of Stanherd Drive in Ottawa, ON.

York Region, Ontario

• December 14, 2011 at the TD Bank on 5100 Rutherford Road in Vaughan, ON. (UNSUCCESSFUL)
• December 21, 2011 Canadian Bankers Association increase reward to $20,000

With files from The Canadian Press