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.
Comments
OLDTIMER3
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 12:19 p.m.
Since when is Dominoes across the road fro TCF? The only one I know of in Saline is on the Corner of Maple and Michigan Ave. About 1/2 mile west of TCF.
Rugeirn Drienborough
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 1:57 a.m.
Has there ever been an incident in which someone went to a bank, robbed it, and then went to a school and did something there? I can't recall ever hearing of such a thing.
RuralMom
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 10:14 a.m.
Back in the late 1970's a Presidents Family employed by Bank in Saline, we're held hostage or tied up and he was held hostage, while they robbed the bank. Can't really remember I was in 6th grade, we went into lock down mode then too, never ever had been done before. The community, the employees family IN the community as well as the general public can be at high risk during these times. Just as Chelsea had its own school shooting, but people reference Columbine, forgetting what did occur in 1993 in our own back yards!
proudtobeme
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 9:42 a.m.
and before Columbine I don't recall students going into their school and shooting (and killing) people.
amelia
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 12:45 a.m.
As a parent and a teacher, I am impressed and grateful for how the situation was handled. My kids and yours were whisked to safety in a calm and safe manner. And when the time was right, they were told why.
RJA
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 11:52 p.m.
Great Job Saline Police Dept. Thanks for the lock-downs, and keeping citizens safe. In todays weather, I am guessing the suspects took those hooded sweatshirts off in no time. (discription shot). Looking forward to an up-date.
MRunner73
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 9:38 p.m.
The Downtown Ann Arbor jewelry store robbery last summer had some local business buildings "locked down" for a short while. Had security guard stand at the front door and we had to present our badges to enter or leave. Call me old school, but this safety thing goes too far. It is all about potential law suites. Such is life in today's world.
Kristin Judge
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 8:35 p.m.
Thank you Saline Administrators and Teachers for your quick response and communication with parents. I'm sure I'm not the only parent who appreciated it!
the leprachaun
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 7:27 p.m.
At school the told us it was just a drill... I really wish the SAS administration would have just told us students the truth.
nickcarraweigh
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 11:03 p.m.
Spelling lessons in Gaelic wouldn't hurt either, I bet.
Mac
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 6:43 p.m.
@zigziggityzoo Obviously they close the schools down because people that are dumb enough to rob banks "could" be dumb enough to harm a kid that gets in their way! Its simply a safety precaution. It makes sense.
MgoBlueMomma
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 6:18 p.m.
Bank robberies are scary, working for a bank I know. Glad everyone is OK and safe.
RuralMom
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 5:45 p.m.
@John Counts, better check with A2 department to see if they believe they are in the Eisenhower Parkway area, near Briarwood. My Hubby and CoWorker just had a scary experience with A2 Police, guns drawn, coincidence maybe, but CoWorker is African American, and my Hubby's Beard is facial hair like you wouldn't believe! There doesn't seem to be any other criminal activities in the area, and with the plane crash, they sure as heck weren't going down Michigan Ave for long!
RuralMom
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 6:06 p.m.
Awesome John Counts, I never expected you to check so quickly!
John Counts
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 5:59 p.m.
I spoke with Saline police about this and they said it was unrelated. They are continuing to investigate, but do not have any suspects in custody.
Member X
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 5 p.m.
Interesting. At the same time I saw a cop parked on the corner of JAC Products waiting for somebody speeding.
jooceefroot
Sun, May 27, 2012 : 12:46 p.m.
still gotta pay for the cops responding to the bank.
Ram
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 4:47 p.m.
I just received a robocall from the school district at 12:45pm informing me that the lockdown has been lifted
smokeblwr
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 4:33 p.m.
So is our mayor still "comfortable" with the crime rate?
Mike
Sat, May 26, 2012 : 12:45 p.m.
Sure is; this happened in Saline.....................
smokeblwr
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 4:51 p.m.
Sorry. Kneejerk reaction to a crime report.
zigziggityzoo
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 4:36 p.m.
The mayor of Saline?
zigziggityzoo
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 4:33 p.m.
Why do schools lock down? Do they really think there's some risk to schools when banks get robbed? Strange.
Kevin Marquardt
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 6:27 p.m.
It's because there are two schools right down the street from that bank. One being the high school and the other is an elementary school. The schools were taking precautions seeing as there were possibly armed men in the immediate vicinity.
djm12652
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 5:48 p.m.
@Rachel...obviously you've never been robbed at gunpoint, the last thing I'd call that scum is "pesky"...I can hear it now...oh those pesky bank robbers are holding a class of 2nd graders hostage...pesky? really?
GreenPus
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 5:39 p.m.
Is it really that hard to understand that a criminal might want to take a kid hostage as a bargaining chip?
sellers
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 5:20 p.m.
It's just to remove crimes of opportunity. Children are often used as hostages for negotiation, unfortunately.
chipp dawson
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 5:02 p.m.
a bank robber could head into a school and a scary hostage situation
Rachel Barsch
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 4:50 p.m.
I have thought along those lines before, but today my child would have been walking from her school to a bowling alley-- a bit of a hike. And although those pesky bank robbers most likely would not have targeted school kids, I'd rather have the kids locked in their building than be out when there might have been a tussle between the police and the perps.
Steiner
Fri, May 25, 2012 : 4:39 p.m.
Saline Patch is reporting the suspect car was found without them in it. Schools are just being cautious.