A 53-year-old man who was arrested Wednesday in connection with an Aug. 16 bank robbery has confessed to five other bank robberies, police said last night.

The Waimanalo resident was arrested in Kailua in connection with the Aug. 16 robbery of the Kailua branch of First Hawaiian Bank. While in police custody, the man said he also was responsible for five robberies that date to 1999, police said.

The man was being held last night in a police cell block pending charges. Police said they will not be able to charge the suspect in two of the robberies because the statute of limitations has expired.

Police said the suspect has admitted to robbing the Kailua branch of American Savings Bank on Aug. 18, the June 16 robbery of American Savings in Kane'ohe, the Oct. 14, 2005 robbery of the same Kailua First Hawaiian Bank branch, a January 2000 robbery of Hawai'i National Bank in Kaimuki, and the November 1999 holdup of the American Savings branch in Kailua.

An anonymous person called police after seeing a CrimeStoppers bulletin of the Aug. 16 robbery. With a name and picture of the suspect, police went back to the American Savings branch and the teller picked the suspect's picture from a photographic lineup, police said.

Police caught up with the suspect at a Keolu Drive address and arrested him at about 4:20 p.m. Wednesday.

Police said the man is not a suspect who is wanted in connection with at least 13 recent bank robberies and the May 28 holdup of a Tesoro gas station in Waipi'o.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.