LUVERNE -- The man who robbed the Minnwest Bank in downtown Luverne Wednesday is still at large, but authorities are following some leads.
"We're getting some leads and investigating those and continue to keep asking the public for information," Rock County Sheriff Evan Verbrugge said. "Right now, we're just going with the leads we have and dealing with the FBI."
The Federal Bureau of Investigations had an agent on the scene just hours after the robbery. Photos of the robber taken by surveillance cameras in the bank were sent to another agent in the Twin Cities who has been following the case of a bank robber dubbed "the Plaid Robber," but it is unknown at this time whether it is the same suspect.
"It could be or could not be," Verbrugge explained. "We're following up that lead as well."
The Plaid Robber has hit banks in Sioux Falls, S.D., and in the Twin Cities.
ADVERTISEMENT
Although an early description of the robber in Luverne reported the man had blond hair and no facial hair, it is apparent in the surveillance photos the man has dark hair and a mustache. He is approximately 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, 35 to 40 years old and wore a red flannel shirt with a white T-shirt underneath. He was also wearing a light-colored glove on his left hand, possibly to hide a scar or tattoo.
"Sometimes when you are dealing with a crisis situation, people need to sit down and think about what happened," Verbrugge stated. "The first information given to our officer was that he was blond. We wanted to get information out right away, so the public would be aware of what was happening, but the story did change."
When the suspect first entered the bank, he approached the nearest teller, who was busy helping a customer in the drive-thru. He was directed to a second teller and presented her with the demand note. Verbrugge confirmed that no weapon was seen or presented, nor did the suspect say whether he had one. Others in the office were not aware of what was happening until the robber had left the building.
"The bank personnel did an excellent job in handling the situation at hand and also when dealing with the sheriff's office," Verbrugge said. "They were noticeably shaken, but still handled things in a professional manner."
The suspect left on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. A rumor that a man matching the suspect's description was seen "casing" the bank the previous day is unfounded.
"I have not heard that at all," Verbrugge explained.
For now, the sheriff and his deputies will continue to follow leads and work with the FBI. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Rock County Sheriff's Office at (507) 283-5000 or the FBI at (507) 387-2460.
