A 47-year-old Alaska man has been identified as a “person of interest” in connection to a bank robbery that took place Thursday afternoon in Elma, a police sergeant said Sunday.
A lone man armed with a gun robbed the Anchor Bank in Elma late Thursday afternoon, getting away with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Elma police now have a suspect in custody, according to Sgt. Ryan Cristelli, thanks to a tip received Thursday night.
“Last night we received a citizen tip of a suspicious male subject in the area that K9 tracking had followed after the bankrobbery, and we located an individual who had an outstanding felony warrant for an unrelated charge,” Cristelli said.
The tip led the police to head to the 200 block of South Bank Road in Elma. The individual was taken into custody on the warrant, and was booked at the Grays Harbor County Jail.
“As the investigation progressed, more and more evidence led to tying that individual to the suspect in the bank robbery,”Cristelli said.
The Elma Police Department has been examining video surveillance from various location around Elma. Cristelli said the evidence will be sent to the Washington State crime lab for examination next week, and that it may confirm the subject in the bank robbery.
Police are still working to identify the bank robbery suspect, Cristelli said.
The robbery occurred about 4:45 in the afternoon. While it was unclear if customers were inside the bank at the time of the robbery, Shaw said there is equal concern for their well-being.
The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Department, Montesano Police Department, Washington State Patrol and Washington Fish and Wildlife assisted the Elma Police Department with the call. Contact has been made with the FBI, and they will be assisting as well.
“If anyone knows anything or saw anything, please contact the Elma Police Department,” Shultz said.
The Elma Police Department is located at 124 N. Third St. and can be reached by phone at (360) 482-3131 and email at police@cityofelma.com.
The Olympian contributed to this report.
