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Published on 06/09/1999 All articles from this issue

Robber quietly hits downtown Wells Fargo bank - customers didn't know about it

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

A robber came and went so quietly at a Wells Fargo branch that the customers didn't even know there had been a robbery.

About 1:48 p.m. last Friday, a Hispanic male came into the Wells Fargo branch on State Street in downtown Los Altos and presented a note to a teller for money.

"He said he had a firearm," said Los Altos Police Sgt. Mark Macaulay, "although none was seen."

He was described as in his 30s, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 180 pounds, stocky, with short black hair, police said. He was clean shaven and had a large nose and ears, police said.

He left quietly with an undisclosed amount of cash, Macaulay said.

"We talked to a couple of customers, and they didn't even know it happened," Macaulay said. "It wasn't like 'Dog Day Afternoon' with firearms going off."

Because of other recent robberies at this branch, a guard has been working there regularly and is often seen patrolling the parking lot and the ATM machines. The guard was on duty at the time of the robbery, Macaulay said. "He was inside (the bank), upstairs at the time of the robbery."

The FBI was scheduled sometime Tuesday to release a picture of the robber taken from the bank's security camera, Macaulay said. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Mark Laranjo at 948-8223.