Hartland
Police said a lone white male entered the bank at about 10:15 a.m. and produced a note demanding money.
He was handed an undisclosed amount of money and left the scene, Lt. Reg Trayah, a Vermont State Police detective, said in an interview yesterday afternoon outside the bank on Route 12.
A police news release later said the suspect fled on foot headed southwest. No weapon was displayed and no injuries were reported.
The release described the suspect as 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 150-160 pounds with a brown mustache and facial hair. He was wearing a dark blue or black cap with the earflaps down, a black-and-gray zip-up hooded jacket with orange on the inside of the hood, tan pants and black shoes.
Police on Saturday visited nearby businesses to talk with employees and provide a description of the suspect. The owner of the Hartland Diner, just across the parking lot from the bank, said she planned to post the image, a still from a bank security camera, to her Facebook page.
“It’s not the clearest picture ever,” but someone might recognize him, Nicole Bartner said.
Bartner and a customer at the counter discussed the bank robbery, and others that have happened in the area recently. Saturday’s robbery had been a subject of discussion all morning, Bartner said. “It’s usually quieter here than that.”
Next door, at BG’s Market, cashier Morgan Gaucher said four state troopers and a Lebanon police car had been on the scene that morning, along with a K-9 unit. She and her co-worker, Nancy Wyman, recalled the May 2011 robbery at the bank, which has since been rebuilt.
“It’s kind of sad,” said Gaucher, who started her shift at 11 a.m. “It feels like it’s been happening more and more.”
Most recently, the bank’s Springfield, Vt., branch was robbed Nov. 10 by a man with a handgun who approached the manager as the branch was opening, remained inside for about 20 minutes demanding more money, and then took the manager’s vehicle and fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The Hartland branch, which normally closes at noon on Saturdays, was locked and quiet on Saturday afternoon. White Christmas lights were visible through the windows and two Vermont State Police troopers remained stationed outside the bank.
Anyone with information regarding Saturday’s robbery or the suspect is asked to use the Vermont State Police’s online Tip Line at vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit or to call Detective Sgt. Eric Albright at 802-722-4600.
Aimee Caruso can be reached at acaruso@vnews.com or 603-727-3210.