Robbery at TCF Bank in Saline sends schools into lockdown
This TCF Bank branch, located on Michigan Avenue in Saline, was robbed Friday morning. Saline Area Schools were sent into lock-down for more than an hour as police scoured the area for two suspects.
Steve Pepple | AnnArbor.com
The TCF Bank in Saline was robbed Friday morning, police confirmed just after noon.
All buildings within Saline Area Schools were placed on lockdown from the time of the robbery around 11 a.m. until 12:40 p.m., according to school officials. At that time police told school officials they felt very strongly the suspect or suspects were no longer in the area.
At 10:58 a.m., the Saline Police Department received a 911 call indicating the TCF Bank located on Michigan Avenue in Saline had been held up, according to a news release.
Officers responded and met with employees at the bank who provided descriptions of the suspects.
The first suspect was described as a black male approximately 5 foot 10 inches wearing something to hide his face and a dark hooded sweatshirt.
The second suspect was an unknown male also about 5 foot 10 inches and wearing something to hide his face. He had on a light hooded sweatshirt. One of the suspects had facial hair.
A brown or burgundy older model four-door vehicle was used, according to police. Suspects fled the scene in the vehicle, which officers located a short distance away.
At the time, no weapons were seen. An undetermined amount of money was taken from the bank.
Rob Hall, a pizza deliveryman for Domino’s, located at 401 E. Michigan Avenue in Saline, across from TCF bank, said school officials told him the robber was on the loose Friday afternoon.
He did not know how many individuals police were searching for, but said there were cop cars “everywhere" just after the report. As of about 12:30 p.m., he said there was just one police vehicle remaining at the bank.
Hall delivered pizza for parties to Woodland Meadows and Harvest elementary schools this morning in the midst of the robbery and school lockdown. He said Domino’s does this frequently on Fridays but that today took much longer because police officers set up a checkpoint on Campus Parkway, which leads to Harvest Elementary and Saline High School. Hall admitted it’s a little unnerving to be delivering pizzas with police on a manhunt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pittsfield Township Department of Public Safety and Michigan State Police are assisting the Saline Police Department with the investigation.
When school officials received word of the robbery, they took students who were outside for Field Day into classrooms and notified the community.
Afternoon kindergarten was cancelled. Parents are encouraged not to come to the schools, district officials said.
Danielle Arndt contributed to this report.
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