Bank robber frees teller, but eludes police
Published 11:09 am Friday, August 1, 2003
By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Dowagiac Daily News
EDWARDSBURG -- The lone robber Thursday morning of the Chemical Bank Shoreline on M-62 South in Edwardsburg remains at large. He disappeared into what he hopes is his field of dreams -- a corn field in Granger, Ind.
Police Thursday night ended their search with police dogs for a bank robbery suspect on Adams Road, near the Sherwood Forest subdivision, located east of Granger, but warned residents to beware.
The suspect was described by police as a white male, in his early 20s, 5-foot-3 to 5-foot-5 and weighing approximately 140 pounds.
When he entered the bank at 9:19 a.m. and announced a robbery, he was wearing a blue or black Adidas-style jacket with three white stripes running down the sleeves, dark pants, white tennis style shoes and a white baseball hat with blue bill.
A blue cloth bandana, cover his face and he wore oval sunglasses.
He indicated he had a weapon to the supervisor at the bank who, along with her two tellers, emptied an undisclosed amount of money into his bag, according to Ontwa-Edwardsburg Township Police Chief Kenneth Wray.
The suspect then abducted one of the tellers and used her as the driver and her car for his getaway.
The teller was directed to drive to the Sherwood Forest subdivision, located off Adams Road in St. Joseph County, Ind. There he directed her to stop and he left the vehicle, running into a corn field.
The teller, who was not injured, drove away and was able to flag down a police car near the Michigan/Indiana State line on M-62 or State Road 23.
The Ontwa-Edwardsburg Township Police Department is investigating the robbery. Assisting is the Cass County Sheriff's Department, Cass County Major Crimes Task Force, the Michigan State Police, the FBI out of St. Joseph, Michigan, FBI South Bend, and FBI Merrillville, Ind., Indiana State Police, St. Joe County Indiana Sheriff Police and the Mishawaka Police Department.
Residents in the area were told to stay inside and lock their doors and to report any suspicious activity immediately.
If anyone has information they are asked to contact Crime Stoppers, or their nearest law enforcement agency. Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-382-STOP, Cass County Central Dispatch at (269) 445-2481 or the Ontwa-Edwardsburg Police Department (269) 663-8444.