GUNMAN ROBS ATM CUSTOMER.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Daily News Staff Writer

A gunman approached an ATM customer early Wednesday morning outside a Valencia bank, then robbed him of his wallet and car, a sheriff's sergeant said.

But the robbery and carjacking proved futile - the victim had tucked the cash from the automatic teller machine into a pocket rather than his wallet, said Sgt. Russ Brown of the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station. And the car was abandoned a few blocks away.

``The guy was so lucky. He took his money and stuck it in his shirt pocket instead of in his wallet,'' Brown said.

It was 6:50 a.m. when the victim stopped his older model blue Honda next to the ATM at Great Western Bank in Granary Square, Brown said. After making his withdrawal, he was approached by a man holding a handgun who demanded his wallet and his keys.

The gunman drove off in the Honda, which was found a few blocks away parked on Via Nautica.

``Everything was recovered, including the wallet,'' Brown said. ``He didn't get the money.''

Brown suggested ATM customers avoid using machines when it appears nobody is around.

``You're kind of a sitting duck out there,'' he said.