Two arrested after bank theft

• Blocking the street

A Minnesota State Patrol vehicle blocks traffic to Worthington’s Fox Farm Road Friday afternoon as law enforcement surrounds a farm site where suspects in a Friday morning bank robbery were apprehended.

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RUSHMORE — Fewer than 30 minutes after the Nobles County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an armed bank robbery at First State Bank Southwest in Rushmore Friday morning, officers had apprehended two suspects at a farm site on Fox Farm Road in Worthington. At least one other person was removed from the home.

A press release issued by the NCSO said a call was received at 10:49 a.m., alerting officers to the robbery.

Information obtained over the police scanner following the incident identified one suspect as a black male in his 20s, wearing sunglasses and a cap. He was armed with a long-barreled gun, later identified as a .22-caliber rifle.

Bank president Alvin Kooiman said there were two employees and one customer in the bank at the time of the robbery.

“We’re just very thankful that no one got hurt,” he said. “I do have to compliment our law (enforcement) authorities. I think they’ve done an excellent job, as did our employees.”

The employees had been trained for an armed robbery situation.

“They were thankful they had that training today,” Kooiman said. “I’ve been in banking 40 years, and I’ve never had a bank I was with be robbed before.”

The suspect fled the scene in a red Mitsubishi, which headed east out of Rushmore. Minutes later, it was reported over the police scanner that the man got away with $7,200. Nobles County Sheriff Kent Wilkening said he could not confirm the amount of money taken or the weapon used, but did say no one was injured during the pursuit.

After conferring with police, Kooiman decided to close the bank for the remainder of the day.

Fox Farm Road, near where the suspects were apprehended, was reopened to the public shortly before 4 p.m.; the Worthington Police Department and Nobles County Sheriff’s Office were conducting a search warrant on the premise late Friday.

Wilkening said the incident was still under investigation, and the suspects’ names and other information will be released as it becomes available.

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