Woman sought in downtown bank robbery

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Police are investigating a bank robbery at Home Savings Bank, 275 W. Federal St., which occurred about 12:40 p.m. Monday.

Detective Lt. Doug Bobovnyik said a woman entered the bank claiming she had a bomb strapped to her. She left the bank with an undetermined amount of money.

No weapon was ever shown, Bobovnyik said.

Bobovnyik said police were reviewing video footage from around the area, including the Western Reserve Transit Authority bus station across the street, where the suspect was thought to be getting on a bus. The bus was reportedly heading to the North Side.

Officers from the Community Police Unit searched downtown for the suspect as well as Youngstown State University police.

Police have footage of the suspect on a bus and also found clothes she was supposed to be wearing in the bathroom of the McDonald’s restaurant.

While noting the video is sketchy, Bobovnyik said the suspect appears to be black and was wearing a black hoodie with a white stripe running horizontally across the chest. She also appeared to have a camouflage backpack.

The last time a bank was robbed downtown was May 30, 2015, when a man took an undetermined amount of money the downtown branch of the Huntington Bank on Market Street.

The suspect was eventually caught. The man claimed to have had a gun but never showed a weapon.