Police are looking for a man who attempted to rob the Palisade National Bank this morning.
No one was hurt during the attempted robbery, no gun shots were fired and no money was actually stolen, Palisade Police Chief Carroll Quarles said. The suspect is male, but police do not have a description because the would-be robber wore a hooded sweatshirt, a ski mask, sunglasses and gloves. No part of the suspect showed, Quarles said.
The suspect is armed and likely has an accomplice. A bank employee’s white van was stolen from the parking lot, but was abandoned less than a quarter of a mile away. Police conducted an aerial search as well as a ground search with canine units, but neither turned up any leads, Quarles said.
“There are lots of people in town — thousands in town that aren’t normally — for the peach festival and they took advantage of it,” Quarles said. “It was good planning on their part.”
Shortly before the lobby was set to open for the day, a man forced the bank manager to open the door to the bank and the vault.
Four other employees were in the bank at the time and one triggered the silent alarm at 8:37 a.m., said Mary Gonzales, a spokeswoman for the Mesa County Sheriff’s office.
Palisade police believe the suspect had an accomplice on the outside of the bank, who alerted the robber when the only officer on duty arrived on scene.
The suspect hid behind a counter in the bank and surprised the officer and was able to take his gun. When the suspect returned to another part of the bank, the police officer ran out the door. The robber followed him out. The door closed behind him and locked him out of the bank and away from the money.
The FBI have taken over the investigation and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and Palisade Police will help.
“Our only hope is someone will call in a tip,” Quarles said. “I don’t see how we will find anything otherwise.”
Caitlin Gibbons: 303-954-1638 or cgibbons@denverpost.com
