A man accused of being the "Blues Bandit" and robbing eight banks has been arrested by police.
According to the FBI, on Thursday, Aug. 10, Juan Rivera Jr., 35, was taken into custody by the Phoenix Police Department and the FBI Bank Robbery Task Force.
Authorities believe the man was the suspect in eight bank robberies between October 2016 and May 2017. They say the man was wearing a suit, fedora-like hat, and glasses in each robbery. They said he would display a note demanding money and threaten the use of a weapon in many of the robberies.
Officials said officers were able to discover the owner of the vehicle used in the robberies; this ultimately led them to Rivera.
Rivera has been charged with a criminal complaint, officials said; the complaint was filed in federal court accusing the man of the robberies.
There were no injuries reported in the bank robberies, but Rivera has been hospitalized because of injuries he suffered during the arrest. According to court documents, Rivera suffered injuries from self-harm before they were able to make contact with him. He's still currently still in the hospital.
The FBI Bank Robbery Task Force worked with the Phoenix Police Department, Glendale Police Department, Surprise Police Department, Desert Schools Federal Credit Union and Walmart Corporate Security in taking the man into custody.
