MANSFIELD – A white male suspect is wanted in connection with Friday night’s armed robbery of the Mechanics Bank on Ashland Road, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect brandished a gun and demanded money at about 5:34 p.m., according to Maj. Joe Masi with the Richland County Sheriff’s Office.
“The suspect came in the bank and handed a note to the teller, then showed a hand gun,” Masi said. “The teller handed the money to the suspect, and he exited the building.”
According to Masi, the suspect exited the back of the building, near the bank’s drive-thru. The Sheriff’s office does have a possible suspect vehicle, but declined to release specific details.
The suspect is a white male in his 20s, medium build with brown hair and a five o’clock shadow, Masi said. He was wearing a black beanie hat, a gray/tan Carhartt-style jacket, and jeans.
“Our major crimes unit along with the FBI are working on the case,” Masi said. “At this time we are not releasing any other information.”
Mark Masters, president of Mechanics Bank, said in a statement on the bank’s Facebook page that no one was harmed in the midst of the robbery.
“We sincerely appreciate our Madison office staff for their calm, well-executed response to the incident,” Masters said. “We also recognize the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and express our appreciation for their professional handling of the situation.
“Lastly, we are grateful to everyone involved who, in ways large or small, helped to minimize the effect of today’s occurrence.”
The Ashland Road branch opened at its regular time Saturday morning.
