MANSFIELD — -- Police were searching for a suspect in an armed robbery Wednesday at a credit union, the third such robbery in less than three weeks.
Mansfield police Chief Dino Sgambellone said historically the holiday season typically does bring about an increase in crime including shoplifting and burglaries.
“We’ve been able to make a number of significant arrests recently and we will continue to aggressively pursue those who choose to break the law,” he said.
Five days ago police captured a suspect who later confessed to two downtown bank robberies.
Jeremiah Conrad, 28, who is accused of robbing Richland Bank last week and Mechanics Bank on Black Friday, pleaded not guilty Monday in Mansfield Municipal Court. He remains incarcerated. He is charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of robbery.
Richland Bank President John Brown last week said bank employees always worry about bank robberies and employees are trained appropriately.
“It’s a fact of our business,” Brown said. “Fortunately most robberies like this one end very safely because people do follow procedures and we we try and get them out the door as quickly as possible. The money is secondary. To say we were on heightened alert because of the Mechanics bank robbery, we’re always on heightened alert.”
At around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, a black male with a bag told a teller at Directions Credit Union, 460 S. Diamond St., that he had a gun. No weapon was seen.
“He was rather aggressive. No one got hurt. She did just what she was supposed to do. He had a bag with him. He put the money in the bag and fled out the door,” Mansfield police Det. John Wendling said.
Wendling said he threatened to harm the teller.
Wendling said the person of interest is a black man, 5-foot, 10 inches tall and 160 to 180 pounds. He was wearing a dark coat and tan sweatshirt and sunglasses.
Bill Adams of the department’s crime lab was on the scene.
The credit union was temporarily closed while police investigated.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 419-755-9755.
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419-521-7223
