Bank Robber Fires Gun Into Ceiling Several Times Before Escaping With Cash

BEAUMONT (CBS) — A bank robber fired several shots into the ceiling at a Citibank in Beaumont before getting away with an undisclosed amount of cash, a police spokeswoman said Saturday.

At 5:43 p.m. Friday, the suspect entered the bank in the 700 block of Beaumont Avenue and fired his gun into the air before ordering employees to give him money, said Darci Mulvihill of the Beaumont police.

The suspect got away in a white van driven by another person, she said.

"The getaway van was abandoned and located by police in an alley near the Beaumont Library," Mulvihill said.

"The van had previously been reported stolen," he said. "The suspects are believed to have switched to an unknown vehicle."

Witnesses described the shooter as a black male adult, medium build, about 6-foot-1 or 6-2 and weighing between 180 and 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt, dark pants and a ski mask.

No description was available of the van's driver, Mulvihill said.

No one was hurt during the incident, she said.

Beaumont police asked anyone with information about the incident or the suspects to call (951) 769-8500. Anonymous tips can be reported at 1-(800)-782-7463.

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