Detectives search for man who robbed bank at gunpoint in Fresno County
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help to identify a man who robbed a Westamerica Bank at gunpoint.
The bank, located at 5751 S. Elm Ave. in Easton, was robbed around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Tony Botti, spokesman for the sheriff’s office, described the unknown suspect as a Hispanic man with a stocky build in his 30s or 40s, approximately 5-foot 6-inches tall. The man was wearing a long-sleeve button-up shirt, khaki pants, beige hat, dark dress shoes, black-framed glasses, and was holding a handgun.
The man threatened the teller, demanding all of the bank’s cash, Botti said. The employee complied, giving him an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect then walked out of the bank. The robbery lasted just under a minute and a half.
None of the bank’s employees were injured, and there were no customers inside the bank at the time of the robbery. The bank was also robbed in 2015.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective Eric Penland at 559-600-8171 or eric.penland@fresnosheriff.org, or Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867 or valleycrimestoppers.org, where tips can be made anonymously and may be eligible for a cash reward.
This story was originally published January 23, 2019 at 5:48 PM.
