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Bank robber could be repeat offender
Suspect may be linked to heist in Hernando County.
By TONY BRITT
tbritt@lakecityreporter.com
The gunman who robbed a Lake City bank Wednesday afternoon appears to be the same man wanted in connection with a Hernando County bank robbery, Lake City Police Department officials say.
“We have received information and photos from another agency, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, and it appears that yesterday’s (Wednesday) robbery suspect committed a similar robbery back in Hernando County in April,” Lake City Police Department Chief Steven Burch said.
The Hernando County robbery occurred April 3 at a Bank of America branch in Springhill.
The Lake City Police Department is continuing its search for the gunman
who robbed the Bank of America branch office at 355 SW Bentley Place.
Reports say the man walked into the local bank Wednesday afternoon, showed a chrome-plated, semi-automatic style handgun and demanded money. After getting the money, the robber fled on foot into a wooded area west of the bank with an undetermined amount of cash.
Police Department investigators have extracted still photos from the bank’s surveillance cameras in an attempt to identify the robber and authorities are seeking help from the public in learning the man’s identity.
“If anybody can recognize the clothing or anything about the individual, we ask them to call Lake City Police Dept. Sgt. Clint VanBennekom with any information,” Burch said. “We’re hoping anybody in the area who was around Wednesday’s robbery, who hasn’t already been talked to by us, who saw something that could be helpful, would come forward because we certainly would like to hear from them.”
He said investigators were able to talk to a very good witness who saw the robber approaching the bank and the witness gave them information which was very helpful in the investigation.
The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall with a slender build. The robber had shoulder-length brown, curly hair, possibly a wig. He was wearing a blue ball cap with an unknown logo across the front, light blue jeans, a two-toned blue sports jacket with an unknown logo across the left breast, black gloves, black mask and wearing sport shoes. He was also wearing a black bandana.
Van Bennekom can be reached at 752-4344.
“We have received information and photos from another agency, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, and it appears that yesterday’s (Wednesday) robbery suspect committed a similar robbery back in Hernando County in April,” Lake City Police Department Chief Steven Burch said.
The Hernando County robbery occurred April 3 at a Bank of America branch in Springhill.
The Lake City Police Department is continuing its search for the gunman
who robbed the Bank of America branch office at 355 SW Bentley Place.
Reports say the man walked into the local bank Wednesday afternoon, showed a chrome-plated, semi-automatic style handgun and demanded money. After getting the money, the robber fled on foot into a wooded area west of the bank with an undetermined amount of cash.
Police Department investigators have extracted still photos from the bank’s surveillance cameras in an attempt to identify the robber and authorities are seeking help from the public in learning the man’s identity.
“If anybody can recognize the clothing or anything about the individual, we ask them to call Lake City Police Dept. Sgt. Clint VanBennekom with any information,” Burch said. “We’re hoping anybody in the area who was around Wednesday’s robbery, who hasn’t already been talked to by us, who saw something that could be helpful, would come forward because we certainly would like to hear from them.”
He said investigators were able to talk to a very good witness who saw the robber approaching the bank and the witness gave them information which was very helpful in the investigation.
The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall with a slender build. The robber had shoulder-length brown, curly hair, possibly a wig. He was wearing a blue ball cap with an unknown logo across the front, light blue jeans, a two-toned blue sports jacket with an unknown logo across the left breast, black gloves, black mask and wearing sport shoes. He was also wearing a black bandana.
Van Bennekom can be reached at 752-4344.
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MrPeepers wrote on May 2, 2008 7:17 AM: