Exclusive: Surveillance Video Showing Armored Car Heist Pulled Off In Minutes
By Chelsea Karnash, Walt Hunter, Elizabeth Hur
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Like a scene from a popular Halloween movie – Robbers wearing "Scream" masks made off with hundreds of thousands of dollars, pulling off an armored car heist in minutes!
Thursday night, Eyewitness News obtained exclusive surveillance video that shows it unfold minute by minute.
9:32 a.m. is when a green minivan pulled into the bank. Just about two minutes later at 9:34 a.m., the armored car arrived and at 9:35 a.m., the green minivan was seen speeding away, later found blocks away, abandoned in the 3400 block of Arthur Street.
The exclusive video Eyewitness News obtained supports what eyewitnesses saw and backs up what investigators believe.
Edward J. Hanko, FBI Special Agent in Charge noted, "It's obviously a well planned robbery."
Police and the FBI are investigating the robbery of an armored car in Philadelphia's Holmesburg section.
The robbery happened when the car was parked outside of a Wells Fargo bank at 8001 Frankford Avenue around 10 a.m. on Thursday.
As police stretched tape sealing off the crime scene, one of two armored truck guards showed investigators how the three robbers, two of them carrying semi-automatics, grabbed more than $300,000 cash from the push cart, as the guard was heading into the bank with it.
"Two males wearing Halloween masks, and armed with what was described as TEC-9 style weapons, approached the van as it was unloading the money," Hanko said.
"He was pushed from behind and I guess whoever pushed him from behind grabbed what they could and ran off," bank customer Gabriel Monsolvo said.
Monsolvo, who was inside just after the robbery, heard initial reports of how it happened, and saw the shaken, but unhurt guards.
Officials say the thieves, who were wearing Halloween masks and carrying weapons, may have stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars — as much as $350,000 — before speeding off in a green Plymouth Voyager.
"I ran over to check on the armored guard to make sure he was okay because I didn't see anybody coming to his help and he said he was fine," Marnan Harner said.
Harner said that she was told by fellow neighbors, and FBI confirms, the robbers were dressed for Halloween.
"The guard was on the ground, there were two guys over him with a mask. He thought it was a Halloween prank," she said.
The getaway car was later dumped outside a nearby school at 3400 Arthur Street, where police confirmed it had been reported stolen from Upper Darby, possibly during the summer.
After they ditched the first getaway car, the suspects then took off in a second vehicle.
Police then ordered neighbors to stay inside their homes, briefly locking down the 3400 block of Arthur Street.
Harner, described the robbery, saying, "It seemed like it was planned, it was over in seconds…by the time I got from the back of the shop to [outside], they were gone."
Philadelphia Police and the FBI searched the area all morning for at least four male suspects.
They are also looking for an additional car, described as a silver newer model.
No injuries were reported as a result of the heist.
