Robbers Wearing Nun Masks Hit Palos Heights Bank
Updated 05/30/11 - 9:00 p.m.
PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. (CBS) -- Two armed assailants wearing nun masks robbed a bank in south suburban Palos Heights on Sunday.
The duo wore nun masks and habits when they robbed the TCF Bank branch at 6410 W. 127th St. in Palos Heights at about 2 p.m. on Sunday, according to the Chicago FBI office.
They each wore the same type of "nun on the run" type of mask and each was armed with a handgun, according to the FBI. The masks were similar to those worn by a group of bank robbers in the 2010 heist film "The Town."
"It's scary, for sure," bank employee Paul Aluculesei told CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman on Monday. "It's almost like a movie."
He said his fellow employees were shaken up but would be all right.
"Thank God everybody's OK," security guard J.J. Lopez said. "Nobody was hurt."
A few more details emerged Monday, and Palos Heights police Detective Gerald Wodka said investigators have some leads, "but nothing concrete."
It's not the first time this branch has been robbed, Wodka said.
"It's a pretty popular one. I don't know why," he said.
This time two offenders entered the bank just minutes before closing time at 1:58 p.m., both with weapons, Wodka said.
They jumped over the counter and took control of two employees — a bank teller and the branch manager — ordered them to the vault where their Nike duffel bag was filled with currency, he said.
No shots were fired, and no one was injured. No customers were in the bank at the time. Police are not disclosing how much money was taken.
The robbers fled in a silver four-door Chevrolet with tinted windows and headed north on Ridgeland, police said.
Anyone with information should call Palos Heights police at (708) 448-5060 or the Chicago FBI office at (312) 421-6700.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
