Robbery At East County Bank Prompts Private School Lockdown

EL CAJON, CA – A bank robbery in Fletcher Hills Tuesday led to a brief lockdown at a nearby private primary school while authorities searched in vain for the man who carried off the heist.

The thief confronted a teller at the U.S. Bank branch office in the 2700 block of Navajo Road in El Cajon and demanded cash at about 11:30 a.m., according to police.

After the clerk handed over an undisclosed amount of money, the bandit left the bank and fled to the north on foot, Lt. Rob Ransweiler said.

Administrators at nearby Our Lady of Grace Catholic School secured all students in their classrooms while officers fanned out through the area to look for the robber with help from personnel aboard a patrol helicopter, the lieutenant said.

The campus lockdown was canceled after about 40 minutes, and police shortly thereafter called off the active search for the thief, described as a roughly 5-feet-9-inch, 200-pound black man in black pants and a red shirt.

By City News Service

Image via FBI San Diego