- It’s a lot of hard work, and it’s not really even a living.
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And again, and again, and again, and…
Just like this New York City bank robber.
Gustavo DeJesus Torres, 33, is nothing if not determined. He recently allegedly attempted to rob six banks.
And he did it all in the span of less than one week. During each of his active days, he tried his luck at two different banks.
As a silver lining, at least Torres was courteous as a bank robber. He didn’t yell, smash, or grab, and instead simply handed the teller a note demanding money.
For Pete’s sake, he didn’t even say he was armed.
That might be why he didn’t exactly rake it in with his robbery attempts. According to the police, Torres netted barely over $600 from the banks.
This isn’t even the first time he’s trying to rob banks. His first robbery attempt reportedly happened five years ago, and he’s been at it ever since.
The man just really wants to make it as a bank robber.
Bank After Bank
Torres’ robbery spree has so far lasted for five days. In each attempt, he has targeted a Chase branch, for some reason.
On Friday, March 13, he struck in Queens. On the day, he entered a Chase bank and walked up to the teller.
Torres allegedly handed the teller a note, which stated that people would get hurt if he didn’t get some money. Curiously, the note didn’t say he was armed or had any real way to hurt anybody.
Afterward, Torres left the bank. A half hour later, he repeated the stunt in another Queens bank.
His daily total was $320 received from one of the banks. The other one he left empty-handed.
The next day, March 14, Torres reportedly went to Brooklyn, where he again visited two Chase branches. It was the same routine—one of the banks gave him money, the other didn’t.
That day, he earned $265.
After the Brooklyn jobs, Torres took a break for a couple of days. Then on Tuesday, March 17, he reportedly moved to the area of the Bronx and Harlem.
From the bank in the Bronx, he got zilch. But from Harlem, he brought home a crisp 20-dollar bill.
Altogether, his robberies made him $605. That’s probably not enough to cover NYC rent, but it’s something.
History of Robbery
These aren’t the first times Torres has robbed banks. It seems that he has a history and may have been more successful in the past.
A news story from 2021 reports that a then-29-year-old Gustavo Torres Torres robbed a bank in the Newark suburb of Belleville, New Jersey. Bizarrely enough, he used the exact same note-handing method and also targeted a Chase branch.
What does this guy have against Chase?
Anyhow, that time, the robber made off with $6,000. It’s not certain whether this is the same person, but the age does line up.
But that’s not all. According to The New York Times, Torres was arrested in February 2026 for robbing a TD Bank in Tribeca, where he stole $600.
On the Run
So, if Torres was arrested last month for bank robbery, why is he out and robbing banks? We couldn’t find out, but it kind of seems the cops may not know either.
Torres has not yet been apprehended, and the NYPD has asked the public for help. They’ve seen the man on subway surveillance cameras and in various other locations, but considering that he seems to be roaming around, that’s hardly surprising.
For the time being, Torres is on the run and in parts unknown. Will he try robbing another bank?
If precedent stands, it’s possible. But maybe the measly $20 he made from his last attempt showed him the error of his ways.