A search is on for a man police say robbed a Hempfield bank Wednesday before making his escape by pedaling a bicycle up Walton Tea Room Road.
The robbery happened at 9:22 a.m. at CFS Bank, less than half a mile from Hempfield Area High School. State police temporarily locked down the school because of the search.
The suspect is described as a white male about 40 years old, wearing black clothing and white tennis shoes. Police said he also was wearing gloves and a yellow and white safety vest.
State police in Greensburg investigating bank robbery Hempfield bank pic.twitter.com/U2YT7wp3Vm
— Paul Peirce (@ppeirce_trib) November 20, 2019
The man entered the bank and passed a note to a bank teller demanding cash, Trooper Stephen Limani said.
“He said he had a firearm, but he did not show any weapon. But he kept one of his gloved hands inside his hooded sweatshirt like he had a gun,” Limani said.
He escaped with an undisclosed amount of money and was last seen riding a blue Pacific Quicksilver mountain bike north away from the bank.
Below entered cfs bank (Walton Tea Rum Rd, Hempfield Twp) @ 0922 threatened to have a weapon and demanded money. He arrived and then fled w/ undisclosed amount of $ on the bicycle pictured in the comments. Bike recovered along WTR Rd Anyone w/ info call PSP 724-832-3288. pic.twitter.com/lQb9NUsHQr
— Troop A Public Information Officers (@PSPTroopAPIO) November 20, 2019
Police found the bike abandoned a few hundred yards from the bank on the side of Walton Tea Room Road, a section of which police shut down. The state police forensic team is analyzing the bike for clues.
The Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Bloodhound Team and the Westmoreland County Park Police K9 unit were called in to help with the search.
Investigators believe the robber, once out of sight from bank security cameras, abandoned the bike and may have left in a vehicle, Limani said.
“We’re asking anyone who may have seen anything to call us. We believe he drove away in a vehicle he had waiting,” Limani said.
Jacob Tierney and Paul Peirce are Tribune-Review staff writers. You can contact Jacob at 724-836-6646, jtierney@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Soolseem. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.
