Washington Federal Savings Bank was robbed on Monday
afternoon and the suspect fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of
cash.
The Hood River City Police are seeking a Caucasian male
from 55-60 years of age. He was described by witnesses as 5 feet 8 inches
tall with gray hair, no facial hair, and a double chin. He was last seen
wearing baggy blue pants, white tennis shoes and an older blue shirt with
the sleeves rolled up.
The man was also wearing a red and black ball cap with
white lettering — possibly the Portland Trailblazer logo. He was carrying
a small to medium-sized green book bag and walked with a limp.
According to reports, a bank employee asked the man
what he needed while waiting on another customer. He claimed to want a
roll of coins and was then motioned toward an available teller.
The suspect then passed that individual a note
indicating that a robbery was taking place and demanding cash. No weapon
was seen and the use of a weapon was not threatened.
Once the man received the money, he left the bank and
was seen running toward Safeway. His actual route and method of getaway
are unknown at this time.
Police arrived within three minutes of the teller
activating a panic alarm, but were unable to locate the suspect. Deputies
from the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office helped comb the area but found
no one matching the suspect’s description.
The FBI has been notified of the crime and has
reportedly indicated the local robbery is similar to others in the region.
Although the suspect kept possession of the note, latent fingerprints were
gathered at the scene. That evidence is being processed and compared with
prints in the law enforcement data bank for a possible match.
Anyone with information on the suspect, or having witnessed any unusual
activity in that location at that time, is asked to call Detective Anthony
Frasier at 387-5251.