FBI Says Lakewood Bank Robbery One Of The Most Violent They've Seen In A While
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - A bank has added a lot of money to the reward for information leading to the arrest of robbery suspects who were brazen and pointed guns in the faces of bank tellers.
Police in Lakewood and the FBI searched for two violent bank robbery suspects on Wednesday morning who may have targeted a 7-Eleven store to distract officers from responding to the robbery at the bank.
The FBI said that just after 9 a.m. a man wearing a skeleton mask walked into a 7-Eleven at 1110 South Pierce Street in Lakewood. He demanded that everyone get to the floor then fired two shots into the walls. No one was hurt.
A few minutes later, two men wearing "Scream" masks went into the US Bank at 14th Avenue and Carr Street in Lakewood.
They pushed guns into the faces of two bank tellers and threatened to kill them. Once they got their money, they fled in a black Jeep.
One of the bank tellers was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
Police later found the Jeep abandoned at Timberleaf Apartments at 14th Avenue and Garrison Street. The suspects then stole an SUV from the apartment complex but didn't release information about the vehicle. The Jeep was taken for processing.
Lakewood police used K9 officers to search the area and set up a perimeter but turned up empty handed. They also searched a nearby light rail station.
FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets detectives say it was one of the most violent robberies they've seen in a while. They believe that the suspects have likely robbed before and fear they will again.
The suspects are described as 6-feet, 180 pounds in their late 20s. One was wearing a sweatshirt the word "Mexico" printed on it.
US Bank has added $10,000 to the $2,000 Crime Stoppers reward for information leading to the suspects arrests.
Additional Information From Crime Stoppers
Remain anonymous and earn up to $2,000. Call Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-STOP (7867). Text to CRIMES (274637) then title DMCS and enter the message or send an e-mail to metro-denvercrimestoppers.com.
