Suspect sought in bank robbery in Warren

The robber said he had a gun, but the teller never saw one.

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — Police continue their search for the man who walked into First Place Bank in the Warren Plaza on Elm Road and robbed a teller of the money in her cash drawer.

The man, described as 6 feet tall, in his early 20s and wearing a blue, zippered jacket and a black or navy blue stocking cap, gave the teller a note Friday morning saying he had a gun and telling the employee to give him the money from her drawer.

The teller complied, and the man left without causing a disturbance. No gun was seen.

There were three or four customers in the bank at the time, but they apparently didn’t realize a robbery was taking place, said Detective Wayne Mackey.

The man fled south toward the Elm Road Drive-In Theatre. Officers from the Warren and Howland police departments and Trumbull County Sheriff’s Department converged on the area within minutes of the 10:50 a.m. robbery, but they didn’t locate the man.

The plaza is located near the border of Warren and Howland.

The thief wasn’t wearing a mask, Mackey said. The FBI was notified of the robbery, but it isn’t known whether they will take part in the investigation, Mackey said.

Mackey said the city has had a relatively high number of armed robberies in recent months, possibly because of the poor economy.

He said the layoff of 20 officers Jan. 1 also isn’t helping.

There were fewer officers working Friday morning than there would have been six months ago, which means there are fewer officers available to set up a perimeter around the crime scene to locate the robber, Mackey added.