Police search for man who robbed Bank of America in La Crescenta

September 09, 2010|By Veronica Rocha, veronica.rocha@latimes.com

(Cheryl A. Guerrero/News-Press )

LA CRESCENTA— A man robbed a Bank of America on Foothill Boulevard Thursday after passing a teller a note, threatening to shoot her if she didn't comply, officials said.

The robbery occurred about 12:56 p.m. at the Bank of America on the 3100 block of Foothill Boulevard, said Lt. Greg Sisneros of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Department. No injuries were reported, and witnesses did not report seeing a weapon.

The man, who witnesses described as having a tattoo on his neck, entered the bank, approached the teller and gave her a note, saying that he would shoot her if she didn't empty her cash drawer and give him the money, sheriff's officials said.

After she complied with his demands, he fled with an unknown amount of cash, Sisneros said.

Laurie Myres saw the man running when she was sitting on the sidewalk outside her office at the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The man caught her attention because she said he was running fast and bumped into a palm tree.

"I looked back to see if he was hurt," Myres said.

But the man continued running and jumped into an older white compact car that drove away, she said.

She didn't think too much about the man and returned to work, but about five minutes later, she heard helicopters and police sirens outside.

A fellow employee went outside to speak with deputies and found out that the bank, which is footsteps away from the office, had just been robbed, she said.

"Then it all sort of came to me," Myres said, although she was unable to provide a description of the suspect to authorities.

"It all kind of happened real fast," she said.

The bank was closed Thursday afternoon while sheriff's deputies investigated.

Deputies searched the area for the suspect, but didn't find him, Sisneros said.

The man was described as Latino, in his 30s, with a tattoo on his neck and a muscular build. He wore jeans and a gray shirt, baseball cap and hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with details about the robbery was asked to call county sheriff's Sgt. Ray Harley at (818) 248-3464, ext. 4009.

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