BENTONVILLE -- Police believe a man robbed the First Security Bank on East Central Avenue and then discarded some of his clothes nearby.
Bentonville police received a bank robbery report at 12:30 p.m. Friday at the 2501 E. Central Ave. branch. Bentonville Police Chief Jon Simpson confirmed the bank had been robbed after he arrived at the scene. Simpson said the robber left on foot.
Security cameras at the bank captured an image of the robber, according to Simpson, and police later released a copy. Simpson described the suspect as a heavy white man in his mid to late 30s and about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with facial hair and dark framed glasses.
The man was wearing a red baseball-style hat and a gray mock turtleneck shirt with long sleeves, according to Simpson. He said police found the clothes nearby.
Police aren't releasing whether the man was armed at the time of the robbery or the amount of money he stole, Simpson said. Simpson said the robber implied a threat when he committed the crime. No one was injured, he said.
Two nearby schools were notified of the robbery and asked to call police if anyone saw anything, Simpson said.
Paul Stolt, director of communications for the Bentonville School District, said the two schools were Washington Junior High School and Apple Glen Elementary School.
The schools weren't locked down, Stolt said, but administrators took precautions, kept students inside and restricted access to the buildings. He said the students would have been sheltered in classrooms with the lights off if the schools had been locked down.
"We just determined that we should not let students out for recess, but kept them in classrooms and continued with normal activities," Stolt said.
Additional police were at the schools during dismissals, he said.
Police tape blocked the three entrances to the bank, which is near Moberly Lane. A closed convenience store is next to the bank.
Police officers searched nearby in hopes of finding evidence. Officers also searched areas near the Waterside Apartments.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting police with the investigation, he said.
NW News on 08/29/2015