The "Gen X Bandit" allegedly stole a BMW after last month's robberies. The FBI tracked the car to San Francisco, where local police moved in to make an arrest just before 6 p.m.
The officers opened fire after they say the suspect, identified as 25-year-old Joshua Camden Smith, refused to give up and tried to run them down. Smith was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
The San Francisco Police Department has not confirmed that their suspect is the same as the suspect in the Irvine robberies.
The "Gen X Bandit" robbed a Chase bank branch on Quail Hill about 11 a.m. May 17 and about 20 minutes later a second robbery was reported at the Comerica Bank branch at 6540 Irvine Center Drive.
The suspect was named "Gen X Bandit" because he wore a plaid shirt and wool cap during two robberies.
City News Service contributed to this report.