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Attempted bank robber remains at large

Friday, August 31, 2007

ABC7 Team Coverage

August 31, 2007 (WLS) -- Dozens of employees escaped a Rogers Park bank Thursday morning when a gunman tried to rob it. For several hours, it was confusing and chaotic in the neighborhood. Businesses were closed, streets were blocked and a school was locked down. The bank will reopen in the morning with extra security. It all started at about 9:45 Thursday morning at the First Commercial Bank in the Rogers Park neighborhood at 6945 N. Clark St.

The bank's owner says this is about the best outcome you could have in an attempted robbery. Yes, the gunman was able to get away, but no shots were fired, no hostages were taken, there were no injuries, and apparently no money was taken from the bank.

A sign on the bank Thursday night states First Commercial Bank is closed. But Friday morning it will open for business with extra security.

Tthe bank owner is happy that all 35 employees are safe.

"Whenever a bank gets into a situation where you have an armed individual trying to commit a robbery, it could be very serious. The cops and FBI handled it masterfully," said Peter Fasseas, bank owner.

A bank executive tells ABC 7 that an outside auditor who was working in the building pushed open a back door Thursday morning after hearing someone knock. The executive says the robber, who was dressed like a construction worker with a light blue mask, busted inside the building and waved a handgun. An unarmed security guard saw the weapon.

"I saw the gun in his hand coming in the door with the gun in his hand. That's when I went back in the back and I told everyone to move, move, get out of here," said James Bond, bank guard.

The executive says the robber shouted: "Everybody move! Everybody move to the vault." But the robber's plan unraveled because the vault is next to an exit, so 20 employees escaped out the door and ran to a nearby school.

"The girls were crying and said a gentleman came in the back of the bank with a painter's mask on and went to the president's office. They were hysterical and I let them use my cell phone to call their loved ones," said Linda Scully, witness.

Twenty employees were free, but 15 remained inside the building, hunkered down in the basement and second floor. SWAT teams and FBI agents arrived. They perched on nearby rooftops and surrounded the building. Eventually, all the employees got out safely.

The authorities searched the bank top to bottom with no sign of the suspect.

Now authorities are following leads on the suspect. They are interviewing witnesses and reviewing all the video tapes inside and outside the building.

Bank employees say the gunman probably got out the same way he got into the building: through the back door.

This is a family-owned bank and they are ready to welcome back customers Friday morning.

School used as safe house

The New Field Primary School, located at the corner of Paulina and Morse, was used as a safe house for bank workers who fled the building. Police escorted them to the school, which is not in session.

Heavily-armed police stood guard and no one left or entered New Field without a police escort while on lockdown. An armored car brought bank employees in small groups to family members who were waiting for them.

Around 3 p.m., the employees were allowed back in the bank.

Officials are now collecting evidence, talking to the workers and looking at the bank's surveillance video.They do not believe any money was stolen.

Police Press Conference

Neighboring businesses closed

Police blocked off the area as they secured the scene.

Some neighboring businesses near Clark and Morse were ordered to close by police. The roads are also closed to traffic.

"I got here to work at 10 in the morning, walking to my job, but they were evacuating people off the street and they told us to close the restaurant, lock all doors- front and back," said Christina Santana.

"It slowed our business down, pretty much to a stand still. Usually by now we have a few people in here," said Ruby Ehmer, A & T Grill

"Nothing now. The business is going down because of what happened at the bank," said Julio Ojeda, Primo's Body Shop

"Usually our clients are able to come in off-season and pick up copies or even file - all the folk with extensions. But no one has been coming in here today," said Alexius Robert, Quick Refunds.

The Chicago Math and Science Academy - a CPS charter school with 400 students - was locked down for a time, but students were able to go from class to class inside the building.

"We were very concerned but not scared because we had all the plans in place," said Salim Ucan, principal.

"They told us don't go to the hall or the bathroom," said one student.

School was let out at 3:15 p.m. as usual.

This bank robbery was the 153rd so far this year in the Chicago area, according to the FBI. This year's pace is a bit behind last year at this time.

Thursday's crime ended without injury, but that wasn't the case earlier this year. Back in May, three masked robbers burst into the Illinois Service Federal Savings and Loan on the South Side. They got into a gunfight with a security guard. A young teller, 23-year-old Tramaine Gibson, was killed. The security guard, Earl Coleman, was wounded, along with 73-year-old Dorothy Sanders. Within about a week, three men were arrested.

Earlier that same month, in Pilsen, a man dressed as a woman robbed the LaSalle Bank branch in the 3000-block of South Kedzie. He ran away with the money and locked himself inside a home in the 2800-block of South Sawyer. A woman with two children managed to escape from the house. Shots were fired, but after a few hours, police were able to get 35-year-old Tyrone Holloman to surrender.

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