Police search for suspect after morning robbery


 

Granville Police met with Vermont State Police Wednesday to discuss leads and possible connections to recent Vermont robberies after the TD Bank on Main Street was robbed by a woman Tuesday morning.

Granville Police Chief Ernie Bassett Jr. said the department was following up several leads in the case Wednesday.

 Several law enforcement agencies joined Granville Police seeking a bank robber who fled the TD Bank just after 11 a.m.

 As of press time, the suspect had not been found, but police continued a vigorous search chasing down various leads. The suspect got away with some money, but police had not disclosed how much.

Police described the bank robber as medium build –about 130 pounds, 5-foot-7, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, sneakers and jeans; she appeared to be in her middle 20s with dark hair. She had freckles under her eyes, police said. The logo reported to be on the black hooded sweatshirt of the suspect was likely the buckle of the bag the suspect carried police said after looking at still of the video security footage.

 The suspect also wore black gloves during the robbery and can be seen in security camera images entering the bank with them on.

 Police were asking anyone with information to contact them at (518) 642-1414 after the security camera images were posted to the web pages of local media outlets.

 Granville Police said they do not believe the suspect was local after officers viewed the security images and did not recognize the suspect.  

 The robber walked into the bank and showed the clerk a note and was given some cash before fleeing the scene, in an unknown direction, police said.

 The robber did not display a weapon, but police said she said she had a handgun, implying it was in the satchel she carried over her shoulder.

 Police from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, State Police and state police investigators converged on Granville and began searching for the suspect.

 The clerk from the bank was taken by police and driven around the village looking for the suspect with no success and officers went up and down Main Street interviewing possible witnesses.

 Reports the suspect might have been at Scotties just prior to the robbery were also investigated and dispelled, police said.

 Granville Police contacted officials with at least one other police department across the border in Vermont, attempting to see if this robbery was in any way connected to two recent robberies nearby, one of which was at the Citizens Bank in Poultney. Although the suspect in that case was male police were attempting to determine if a female accomplice was possibly involved.

 Police also responded to East Main Street for a report of suspicious noises at the Great Meadow Community Credit Union about 12:30 p.m., but no problem was found after three police officers searched the area.

 TD Bank’s Main Street location was locked down for several hours after the robbery, opening back up at 3 p.m. Bank Manager Peter O’Brien said he could not comment on the matter.

Granville school officials said the schools were placed into lock down shortly after word of the robbery got out; they remained in lockdown for about three hours until just after 1 p.m. at which time parents were alerted to what had happened. A group of students who were out of the school visiting the Slate Valley Museum were locked down at that location.