Police Search for Bank Robber in Montgomery Co.

Police in force responded to a bank robbery in a normally sleepy Montgomery County town this morning that led to temporary school lockdowns.

County dispatchers told NBC10 that someone robbed the VIST Bank location at the intersection of Dekalb Pike (U.S. Route 202) and W Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, Pa. around 8:15 a.m.

Whitemarsh Township Police described the thief as a man in his 40s or 50s standing about 6-foot, 1-inch tall who was wearing a hoodie and armed with a semi-automatic handgun. After taking an undisclosed amount of money the man fled out towards Route 202, according to federal investigators.

Police reported no injuries.

About an hour later, police said they received a report of a suspicious male running through yards in the 1600 block of Sullivan Drive.

A witness said police with rifles could be seen searching in the area.

Three local schools were put on lockdown temporarily as police looked for the man.

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Police eventually caught up to the suspicious man and determined he wasn't the thief.

As the search for the bank robber continued the branch remained closed. A sign hung on the door of the bank that read "Due to an emergency, this office is temporarily closed."

Anyone who recognizes the suspect should contact Whitpain Police at 610-279-9033.

This heist came just hours after a Sunoco A-Plus store up Dekalb Pike was robbed overnight. In that heist a clerk was shot in the leg.

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