A school was locked down in Commerce City for more than five hours and area residents urged not to leave their homes today as police looked for a bank robber from house to house.
At about 2:30 p.m. police were called to the Key Bank, 6565 E. 73rd Ave., on a robbery.
The robber handed a teller a note demanding money or “she would be shot,” police said in a press release.
No weapon was seen.
The robber fled the bank in a white SUV, possibly a Chevy Blazer, police said.
Officers found a white Blazer, believed to be the suspect vehicle, parked near E. 74th Avenue and Oneida Drive and authorities searched the area for the robber.
Nearby Hanson Elementary School was locked down and police set up a search perimeter from East 73rd Avenue to East 75th Place and Oneida Street to Quebec Street.
Police ended the lock-down, which impacted about 390 students at the K-8 school, at 7:50 p.m., said Sgt. Joe Sandoval.
“Most of the parents were pretty good about it when they realized we were doing it for their children’s safety,” Sandoval said.
The house to house search, of about 30 apartments, came up empty, Sandoval said.
Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call police at 303 287-2844.
Staff writer Kieran Nicholson can be reached at 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
