Police still following leads on trail of bank robber

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Rosemount police and FBI agents are still looking for information about last week’s robbery at the First State Bank of Rosemount, but little has come to light so far.

Rosemount Police Chief Gary Kalstabakken said the department continues to work with other departments and hopes someone will come forward and identify the robber.

In hopes of getting more information, FBI Special Agent E.K. Wilson said the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office and the Minnesota Banker’s Association have teamed to offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the robber.

“We hope someone with information or who recognizes him will come forward,” said Wilson.

On Oct. 21 a man armed with a black hand gun walked into the First State Bank of Rosemount, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, and demanded money from a female teller. The teller handed over an undisclosed amount of money, the robber put the money in his pockets and took off on foot. He was last seen running west on 145th Street away from the bank.

The robber was wearing a baseball cap with dark sunglasses placed on top of the hat and a white bandana to cover his face during the Rosemount robbery.

This was the first robbery in Rosemount since the TCF branch in Cub Foods was robbed in October 2003. This is the first time in First State Bank’s history that the bank has been robbed.

The robbery prompted the three nearby Rosemount schools to lock their doors and post people to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious, and it unnerved the community as a whole.

The man, who is described as white, in his 30s and 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, with a slender to medium build, is believed to be responsible for five other robberies in the Twin Cities area including a bank in St. Paul the day before the Rosemount robbery.

During that attempt the robber demanded money from a female teller at Cherokee State Bank. The teller refused to give him cash and he left. The other robberies included MidCountry Bank Sept. 25 in Inver Grove Heights, the Central Bank Sept. 30 in South St. Paul, The Wells Fargo Bank Oct. 6 in Minneapolis and the Bank of America Oct. 9 in Hudson, Wis.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Minneapolis FBI at 612-376-3200, Rosemount police or Crime Stoppers.

Tags: local news, news, robbery