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Police investigate robbery at downtown bank

Man dressed as a construction worker robbed Comerica Bank on Friday

An armed man who was dressed as a construction worker robbed a bank in downtown Palo Alto late Friday afternoon, according to police.

Police received a call at about 5:26 p.m. from an employee at Comerica Bank at 250 Lytton Ave., reporting that a robbery had just occurred, police said in a news release. Officers responded but could not find the suspect.

Police said the man went into the bank when there were no customers inside, approached a teller – a woman in her 50s – and lifted his shirt to display a handgun tucked into his waistband. He demanded money and when the teller went to the back room, he jumped over the counter and took money from an open drawer, police said.

The man then reportedly fled on foot south on Ramona Street.

Police described the suspect as a white man in his 30s and at least 6 feet tall. He reportedly wore a bright orange sweatshirt, black jeans, a white construction helmet and sunglasses. Police said he also had a black T-shirt wrapped around his head under the helmet and facial hair on his chin.

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Police said there have not been any other recent bank robberies in Palo Alto. Detectives are investigating whether the crime is connected to any others in the Bay Area, according to the news release.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the department's 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the department's free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.

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Gennady Sheyner
 
Gennady Sheyner covers the City Hall beat in Palo Alto as well as regional politics, with a special focus on housing and transportation. Before joining the Palo Alto Weekly/PaloAltoOnline.com in 2008, he covered breaking news and local politics for the Waterbury Republican-American, a daily newspaper in Connecticut. Read more >>

Follow on Twitter @paloaltoweekly, Facebook and on Instagram @paloaltoonline for breaking news, local events, photos, videos and more.

Police investigate robbery at downtown bank

Man dressed as a construction worker robbed Comerica Bank on Friday

An armed man who was dressed as a construction worker robbed a bank in downtown Palo Alto late Friday afternoon, according to police.

Police received a call at about 5:26 p.m. from an employee at Comerica Bank at 250 Lytton Ave., reporting that a robbery had just occurred, police said in a news release. Officers responded but could not find the suspect.

Police said the man went into the bank when there were no customers inside, approached a teller – a woman in her 50s – and lifted his shirt to display a handgun tucked into his waistband. He demanded money and when the teller went to the back room, he jumped over the counter and took money from an open drawer, police said.

The man then reportedly fled on foot south on Ramona Street.

Police described the suspect as a white man in his 30s and at least 6 feet tall. He reportedly wore a bright orange sweatshirt, black jeans, a white construction helmet and sunglasses. Police said he also had a black T-shirt wrapped around his head under the helmet and facial hair on his chin.

Police said there have not been any other recent bank robberies in Palo Alto. Detectives are investigating whether the crime is connected to any others in the Bay Area, according to the news release.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the department's 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the department's free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.

Comments

resident
Downtown North
on Apr 14, 2018 at 9:51 am
resident, Downtown North
on Apr 14, 2018 at 9:51 am

Tall thin white man in his 30s with facial hair. We'll be on the lookout.


Online Name
Registered user
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 14, 2018 at 9:57 am
Online Name, Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
Registered user
on Apr 14, 2018 at 9:57 am

Perfect outfit for a PA robbery, almost as good as when someone dressed in neon bike spandex and a bike helmet robbed a bank on Sand Hill and then vanished into the horde of other neon-spandex-clad bike riders a few years back.


mauricio
Registered user
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 14, 2018 at 2:27 pm
mauricio, Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
Registered user
on Apr 14, 2018 at 2:27 pm
easong
another community
on Apr 16, 2018 at 9:34 pm
easong, another community
on Apr 16, 2018 at 9:34 pm

Which member of the Village People will be represented in the next PA bank robbery?


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