Valdosta Daily Times

Local News

December 21, 2012

Bank of America robbed at gunpoint

Police seek robbers, getaway driver

VALDOSTA — Bank of America’s Baytree Road branch was robbed at gunpoint early Thursday morning by two African-American males who got away.

Valdosta Police Lt. Aaron Kirk said dispatch received the call at 9:05 a.m. from the 2001 Baytree Road bank’s alarm company. Shortly after, a call came from a person inside the bank who stated they had just been robbed.

“Both of them had handguns,” said Kirk. “Nobody inside was hurt.”

After demanding and taking an undisclosed amount of money, the duo exited the bank’s front entrance and bumped into Gerald Herrin who was about to enter the bank.

“I was standing at the door and he bumped into me,” said Herrin.

His son, Michael Herrin, said that the two robbers wore masks.

“They were, like, black masks ... opened up, so you could see their eyes,” said the younger Herrin.

One man carried little, blue sacks.

“They were walking like normal,” the elder Herrin said.

Kirk said police had not verified if the two men — one heavy set and one thin — were wearing masks or rather, some type of face covering as they received mixed reports from witnesses.

“Their faces were covered,” said Kirk.

After exiting the bank, the two men entered a blue SUV with no plates that had been backed into a front parking spot with the engine running.

“I saw them take off,” said Michael Herrin.

Kirk said the robbers exited the parking lot of the bank and turned left onto Springhill Drive. They took Springhill Drive all the way past Voigt’s Steel Supply and turned right back onto Baytree Road where they dumped the SUV at a complex of apartments then got into a second SUV. A third party drove off with the two robbers.

“We recovered an SUV and we think they fled in another SUV,” said VPD Cmdr. Brian Childress.

The recovered vehicle will be taken to the crime lab where it will be processed and investigated.

VPD detectives and Valdosta-Lowndes Crime Lab crime-scene technicians are working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Kirk said the FBI investigates all bank robberies as banks are federal establishments.

The identities of the two robbers and the driver of the getaway car are unknown, according to a Thursday press release from the VPD.

Anyone having any further information regarding this crime is urged to contact the Valdosta Police Department at (229) 293-3145; or callers can remain anonymous at (229) 293-3091.

Text Only
Local News
  • VECA1.jpg VECA recognized at VSU

    Rising juniors from the Valdosta Early College Academy (VECA) were recognized at Valdosta State University Wednesday night as the first group of students to begin earning college credit while still in high school.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • 130522-disaster help second_har Businesses raise funds for Oklahoma disaster

    By now, we’ve all heard about the tragedy in Moore, Okla., a mile-wide, F5 tornado with winds of more than 200 miles per hour carved through 17 miles over a span of 50 minutes on Monday afternoon.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • N1209P63005K.jpg Southwestern State Hospital to close

    One of Thomas County’s largest employers — at more than 700 people — and a longtime regional state mental hospital will close Dec. 31.

    May 23, 2013 1 Photo

  • Oklahoma Tornado_Stew.jpg Search for survivors continues

    Helmeted rescue workers raced Tuesday to complete the search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb where a mammoth tornado destroyed countless homes, cleared lots down to bare red earth and claimed 24 lives, including those of nine children.

    May 22, 2013 3 Photos

  • 130521-bill_shenton003.jpg Curator offers arts a helping hand

    If you’ve been to the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts in the past four years, you have seen the quiet art of Bill Shenton.

    May 22, 2013 2 Photos

  • swampghost1 copy.jpg Albino gators visit Wild Adventures

    Two rare albino American alligators have joined the other gators at Wild Adventures for the summer.

    May 21, 2013 1 Photo

  • Police_Car_2 2 copy 2.jpg Officers wound man in shootout

    A Lanier County man was wounded Saturday during an exchange of gunfire with lawmen, according to a Lanier County Sheriff’s Office press release.

    May 21, 2013 1 Photo

  • At Random - Mandy Painter04 copy.jpg Woman fights to live after cancer

    To be whole again, the desire that sometimes overwhelms chair-bound Mandy Painter, fuels the Realtor each day through walking lessons during physical therapy and it's also what could see her through a cutting-edge program in Boston, where world-class neurologists can reawaken her cerebellum and see the mother of three to her feet again.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • photo(2).JPG North Ashley Street closed following accident

    A Sport Utility Vehicle traveling north on North Ashley Street drove into a telephone pole Monday morning, resulting in the closure of the road.

    May 20, 2013 2 Photos

  • gornto copy.jpg Gornto extension half complete

    The Gornto Road extension project is more than half-way complete, and could be finished ahead of the one-year deadline contractors were given when the project was approved Oct. 11 by the Valdosta City Council.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

Top News
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
Poll

What’s your best advice for graduates?

Go to college or trade school immediately.
Work for a while then seek further education.
Enter the work force.
Intern, ensure an interest is something you can do.
     View Results