San Francisco Bay Area Fox-owned station KTVU has discovered its viewers are paying attention.
One viewer, who wanted to be known as James, recognized a suspect from a report by KTVU’s Henry Lee as he was walking out of a Safeway and called police.
Police say the man they arrested is the Bearded Bandit, who is accused of robbing or attempting to rob 15 banks in the area. When the cops got him he only had a goatee, but when James saw him he still had his full allegedly criminal beard.
“I noticed a guy walking out and I said to myself, ‘God, that looks just like the bearded bank robber that I’ve seen on Channel 2 News,” said James. “I don’t understand it. I mean, when I saw all the broadcasts, he never changed his style. It was always the same.”
“Last night, in Brentwood, a viewer who saw the telecast on KTVU a few nights ago that you did, saw our bearded bandit inside of a Safeway over there,” said Concord police Cpl. Chris Blakely. “They reported that he was acting suspicious. He immediately called the police.”