The man believed to have been responsible for a notorious string of bank robberies in the area earlier this year has been scheduled for trial in November. Diego Sanchez-Lopez, 23, faces five counts of bank robbery for the thefts, which occurred at banks between November 2017 and May 2018.
The suspect was nicknamed the “Froggy Robber,” for his short stature (5’2″) and his practice of jumping the counter to threaten bank employees with a knife. In all, Sanchez-Lopez is accused of stealing more than $87,000 from five banks across Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington and Columbia counties.
Before his arrest, a robbery at Columbia Bank in Canby last October had also been considered a part of the Froggy Robber spree, but Sanchez-Lopez was not charged with this crime. When asked why, a representative of the U.S. district attorney’s office said only that the investigation was ongoing.
While the Canby bank robber did use a knife and jump the counter, and was about the same height, some aspects of his description do not match Sanchez-Lopez. The Canby suspect was described as a white male, and his age was given as in the 30s or 40s.
Sanchez-Lopez was caught after an attempted robbery at Wells Fargo in Hillsboro on April 30. He allegedly jumped the counter, threatened tellers and demanded money, and made off with over $33,000. He was chased down by two customers, Josh Merritt and Jonathan Hodges, who followed him and were able to get the attention of a passing police officer.
Diego-Lopez is also suspected in an armed robbery that occurred at a Cornelius bar in December.
His trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 27 in federal court in Portland.
