FBI: Anoka Robbery Likely 1 In String Of Bank Hits
ANOKA, Minn. (WCCO/AP) -- The FBI says two men carjacked or kidnapped an Anoka bank teller and drove her to the bank so they could rob it Friday morning.
Authorities said the robbery happened at about 6:20 a.m. at the U.S. Bank on 7th Avenue and Tyler Street.
The agency believes it was the third time these men had robbed a bank in the Twin Cities suburbs, and it seems the pair is getting more bold.
"This is taking it to a new level," said FBI spokesman Steven Warfield. "Obviously this is somebody we need to catch."
The two men allegedly confronted the teller outside of her home and escorted her to the bank, implying that they had a weapon, though they never actually showed the teller the weapon.
WCCO Radio's Susie Jones Reports From Anoka
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She took them to the bank and gave them an undisclosed amount of cash.
They fled the scene, but it was not clear whether they left on foot or had someone waiting to drive they away.
Surveillance is being checked, but authorities described the suspects as two black men in their early 30s. They apparently had their faces partially covered.
Authorities believe the men are also suspects in the August robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank in Champlin, and the September robbery of a US Bank in Plymouth. In the Plymouth incident, they allegedly wore masks and used a semiautomatic handgun and a knife to force employees into the vault just as the bank was opening. They then left the workers bound and blindfolded, the FBI said.
The FBI believes the men also tried to rob banks in Chanhassen and Lakeville earlier this year.
The FBI said the men are described as black males in their 20s or 30s. One is about 6 feet tall with a thin build, the other is about 5-foot-8 with a stocky build. In Friday's incident, they wore dark clothing, including masks and gloves.
A $50,000 reward was announced for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects.
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