Suspects sought in LaGrange bank robbery
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on September 7, 2005 1:48 PM
LA GRANGE -- LaGrange police and state and federal authorities are following leads today in trying to locate three men who robbed the Wachovia Bank in LaGrange.
The three masked suspects, armed with shotguns, walked into the bank at 119 W. Railroad St. at about 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, ordered four employees and four customers to the floor and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.
LaGrange Police Chief John Sullivan said today that authorities believe the robbers escaped in an early 1990s gray Buick or Oldsmobile. They drove north on N.C. 903 toward Greene County.
The robbers were described as black, one 6-feet-4 and a second about 5-feet-11. The third could not be described.
"They were wearing masks, and their actual facial description was not clear," Sullivan said.
No one was injured during the holdup. But one customer said he saw only a shotgun barrel jammed to his head.
LaGrange police are working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Highway Patrol and sheriff's offices in Lenoir, Wayne and Greene counties.
Anyone with information on the holdup was asked to call LaGrange police at 252-566-3400 or Lenoir County Crime Stoppers at 1-252-523-4000. Callers may remain anonymous, and they may be eligible for a cash reward, if their information leads to an arrest.
The N.C. Bankers Association also will offer a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the suspects. Confidential information may be called to 1-800-209-2293.
The same bank was robbed about two years ago. The robbers were sentenced to prison.