A homeless man suspected in two Oahu bank robberies this week made his first appearance in U.S. District Court today.

James Stephen Otten, 36, was charged by federal prosecutors with two counts of bank robbery. The Liliha branch of First Hawaiian Bank was robbed Tuesday while the Haleiwa branch of First Hawaiian was robbed Wednesday.

Otten is being held pending a bail hearing scheduled for Thursday.

According to court documents, $500 was stolen from the Liliha branch about 8:34 a.m. Tuesday. A teller told investigators that a man walked up to her window and handed her a note that read, "I need $3500 now." When she wrote back on the same note that she could only give him $500, he told her "OK" and "hurry up," court documents said.

The robber walked out of the bank with the cash and fled on foot, court documents said.

The robber in the Haleiwa case behaved similarly, court documents said.

A teller told investigators a man handed her a note that read, "I need $3900 now," court documents said. She gave him all the cash in her drawer, which amounted to $1,724. The robber took the money and fled on foot, court documents said.

Otten was identified in bank security video by a police officer who had spoken to Otten earlier this week at Aala Park in an unrelated incident. Otten was arrested in front of the Mauna Kea liquor store at 1161 Maunakea St. about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday. When he was arrested, officers found in his jacket pocket a glass pipe with a small amount of cocaine, and marijuana in another pocket.