Band-Aid bandit captured

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The Band-Aid Bandit -- a stick-up artist who robbed 40 Florida banks over the past 5« years, often while wearing on a bandage on his cheek -- was finally captured Thursday, authorities said.

Rafael Angel Rondon, 50, was arrested at his home in Clermont and charged with three of the holdups attributed to the Band-Aid Bandit.

He was identified by his license plate, which was captured on surveillance cameras outside a Pinellas Park bank robbed last week, authorities said. Also, authorities said Rondon's handprint was found at the scene of what was believed to be the bandit's first robbery, committed in 2000.

The Band-Aid Bandit sometimes carried a silver-colored revolver, and made off with about half a million dollars. Investigators said Rondon used a bandage in many robberies to cover a mole on this left cheek.

Before detectives started calling him the Band-Aid Bandit, he was known as the Beer Belly Bandit.

Agents also arrested 54-year-old Emeregildo Roman on charges he joined the Band-Aid Bandit in several of the robberies.