Man Allegedly Uses Toy Gun to Hold Up Royal Oak Bank

A 62-year-old Ypsilanti man allegedly used a toy handgun to rob the PNC Ban, 1710 E. 12 Mile Road, Tuesday morning, police said.

The suspect entered the bank about 9:45 a.m., approached a teller, brndished the gun and demanded the money.

A customer inside the bank confronted the suspect and attempted to subdue him, police said, but the suspect broke free and fled to a vehicle he had parked several blocks away.

Several witnesses called 911 and provided responding officers with the suspect’s description, direction of travel and vehicle information. Employees from the Royal Oak Department of Public Works also gave chase on foot.

“If not for the witnesses quickly calling police, it is likely this suspect would have gotten away,” Royal Oak Police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue said. “ I would like to commend all the witnesses, including Royal Oak’s own Department of Public Works employees who briefly pursued this suspect on foot.”

The suspect i was arrested for armed robbery, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. The suspect has a criminal history which dates back to 1970, police said, including prior convictions of felony possession of a concealed weapon, felony larceny in a building, felony larceny from a vacant building, and bank robbery.