The car parked in a nearby development behind the Havertown post office. When the man got out of the car he carried a distinctive yellow bag. His hand was bandaged and his hat was pulled low. A woman got out of the car also, leaving three small children in the backseat, Viola said.
Officers quickly surrounded the couple and ordered them to the ground.
"He never made it to the bank," Viola said.
Detectives questioned Hiram Adams, 44, at headquarters.
"I'm told he's confessed to many of the bank robberies," Viola said. "It could be as high as seven."
The FBI was expected to charge Adams Wednesday night.
Charges against Adams' girlfriend, who was not named by police, are pending. Her children - ages 2, 4, and 6 - were placed with her family.
FBI spokesman J.J. Klaver said the "Mummy Bandit" was responsible for at least five robberies during the last year, the most recent a Sovereign Bank branch in Wyndmoor held up on June 4. He also struck three branches in Philadelphia and another in Wyncote.
Though he never displayed a weapon, "he has threatened that he has a bomb or is carrying a gun," Klaver said.
In each robbery, the bandit carried a yellow bag and made attempts to disguise himself, usually applying bandages to his face. During one robbery, he dressed as a doctor, with a stethoscope over hanging from his neck and a hair net over his head.
Viola was not sure why the bandit bothered to bandage parts of his face and body.
"The pictures were out there and the bank personnel recognized him right away," Viola said. "He did a poor job of covering himself up.
Contact staff writer Sam Wood at 215-854-2796 or samwood@phillynews.com.
