Law enforcement agencies in multiple Louisiana parishes are on the hunt for a Baton Rouge man, dubbed "The Saw Bandit," who's suspected of making attempts to rob numerous ATMs using heavy-duty construction tools. According to WGNO, 32-year-old Alfred Roy Cobb is facing charges that include simple burglary and criminal access to an ATM, following incidents where he allegedly tried to cut into ATM machines unsuccessfully.
Reportedly, the series of burglaries spanned across St. John the Baptist Parish, East Baton Rouge, Livingston, and Tangipahoa, with authorities piecing together a pattern in Cobb's alleged operations. Investigators managed to link Cobb to the crimes partly by examining security camera footage and recognizing the vehicles used during the burglaries. Despite the failure to actually claim any cash from the ATMs, significant damage was inflicted upon the machines. Notably, on Oct. 12, a LaPlace bank's ATM was left damaged by an individual, believed to be Cobb, who tried to access its vault. This claim was further substantiated by WAFB who stated that the vehicle identified in a surveillance operation led to the arrest of Cobb's accomplice, 37-year-old Daniela Lucas, last Wednesday on a charge of felony simple burglary.
Detailed in WBRZ's coverage, prior instances of similar crimes were connected to Cobb when a car chase led to the discovery of a concrete saw in a stolen van. This chase ended on Highland Road, after which an arrest was made, although the individual's identity was not disclosed. Investigations have revealed that Cobb was previously convicted of attempted armed robbery and is still within a probation period set to last until the end of 2025.
In a string of ATMs targeted, stores like Family Dollar and a credit union found their machines sawed into or pried open, although alarms seemed to have to scare off the perpetrators on several occasions. Lucas, who is Cobb's cousin, was arrested with multiple saw blades in her possession and admitted to aiding Cobb in the burglaries. Currently, Cobb has outstanding warrants for his arrest in several parishes. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to contact authorities at (225) 398-5000.
