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Police searching for 'bank jugger' accused of stealing jewelry from a widower

According to police, the widowed man took the jewelry out of a security deposit box ahead of his daughter's wedding.
Credit: Tampa Police Department

TAMPA, Fla — Do you know this man? If so, the Tampa Police Department needs your help.

Police say he's what's known as a "bank jugger," or someone who sits in the parking lot of a bank watching customers go in and out to identify those who may have something of value. 

Next, they look for an opportunity to burglarize your car, typically after following you to another retail or commercial location, according to police.

And that's exactly what they say an unidentified man did on May 30 at a Bank of America on 9385 N. Street.

According to a release, the man seen on the surveillance video was "jugging" a recent widower who was at the bank to remove his wife's jewelry from a safety deposit box ahead of his daughter's wedding. 

Afterward, he hopped in his car and headed to a nearby Amscot and went inside. That's when police say he returned to his car with the lock punched, trunk open and jewelry stolen.

The unidentified man was caught on surveillance video at both the bank and store, according to the police department.

He also appears to match the description of outstanding crimes the department has from 2019, making him someone they're "very interested in speaking with."

The police department offers the following ways to protect yourself from "bank jugging":

• Always be aware of your surroundings.
• Conceal money before leaving the bank.
• Never openly carry bank bags, envelopes, or coin boxes.
• Be aware of anyone following you from the area of a bank.
• Never leave, or try to hide, your bank bag or bank envelope in your vehicle.
• If you suspect you are being targeted, call 911 from your cell phone and keep the dispatcher informed of your location, the direction you are traveling, and drive toward the nearest police station until marked police cars are able to locate you.

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