Features

Downtown Bank of America Robbed Wednesday

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Thursday June 12, 2008 - 10:06:00 AM

A man held up the Bank of America branch at Shattuck Avenue and Center Street at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and escaped with cash, Berkeley police said. 

The suspect, who eyewitnesses reported to be around 35 years old, six feet tall, dark complexioned, wearing a long-sleeved oversized T-shirt, dark sunglasses and a cap or a visor with a baseball style bill, has not been taken into custody yet, authorities said. 

Berkeley Police Department spokes-person Officer Andrew Frankel said the suspect went into the 2129 Shattuck Ave. branch with a handwritten note and gave it to the teller. 

“He also demanded money from her verbally,” he said. 

Frankel said although the suspect did not present any weapons, the teller said she believed he might have carried one. 

After the teller handed the suspect the cash—Frankel could not disclose the amount—he fled.  

He was pursued by bank security officers who later lost sight of him, police said. 

Although there were other customers in the bank, no one was injured during the hold-up. 

Frankel said, “Police are currently looking at the videos from the bank’s security cameras to learn more about the incident and get an image of the suspect.” 

Four suspects armed with shotguns stole $6,000 from the Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union at 2001 Ashby Ave. in Berkeley on May 13. They were later arrested in Oakland. 

Berkeley police are asking people to call the robbery division at 981-5742 or the police hotline at 981-5900 with any tips about Wednesday’s incident.