Cridersville bank robbed at gunpoint

CRIDERSVILLE - Two masked men in heavy winter coats robbed a Cridersville bank at gunpoint early Tuesday afternoon. The bandits fled to a nearby car and made their getaway before police arrived.

The heist took place around 12:40 p.m. at the Chase bank, 609 E. Main St., village Police Chief John Drake said.

"They brandished firearms and they did leave with an undisclosed amount of cash," Drake said. "We're still processing that to determine what is missing."

Police dogs were able to track a scent a short distance to where the robbers likely had a vehicle, but then lost the scent, Drake said.

There was a heavy police presence in and around Cridersville in the minutes and hours following the robbery. Yellow police tape blocked the driveway entrance and main entry to the bank. On an inside door, branch employees had posted a notice alerting customers that the branch was closed because of an emergency.

Marked and unmarked police cruisers from numerous Auglaize and Allen county police agencies patrolled the area in and around the bank looking for the robbers. Curious onlookers could be seen driving slowly past and glancing at the scene.

The first robber was described as a black man, about 6 feet tall weighing between 180 and 200 pounds, Drake said. The second robber was described as a black man, about 5 feet 11 inches and weighing between 220 and 230 pounds.

Bank surveillance photos released by the Cridersville Police Department show both men with handguns demanding the money from bank employees. Both men wore heavy overcoats - one tan and one dark blue - and both wore gloves and masks.

Drake said bank employees did the right thing when faced with the robbery.

"They did perfect. They did what they were supposed to," Drake said. "They gave over the money, they didn't interfere. They did what they needed to do to stay safe."

Drake said investigators were in the early stages of processing the crime scene and looking for the robbers. Drake said investigators would be looking into whether the bank robbery was related to a series of armed robberies around the region, including two in Shawnee Township since Saturday.