Two masked men rob Mont Alto, Pa., bank

December 29, 2006|by DON AINES

MONT ALTO, PA. - Pennsylvania State Police on Thursday were investigating another armed robbery, this one at a bank in Mont Alto, and exploring a possible connection to one or more of five holdups in Franklin County during the past week.

The F&M Trust branch on Park Street was robbed by two masked men on Thursday about 5 p.m., Trooper Christian Fow said. The men were armed with a handgun and a long gun, and made off with an undetermined amount of cash.

The men were "covered from head to toe," and no further description of the robbers was available Thursday night, Fow said. There was no description of a possible getaway vehicle, he said.

There were several employees, but no customers in the bank at the time of the robbery, Fow said. No shots were fired and no one was injured, he said.

"We're certainly exploring the possibility that this is related to the other robberies," Fow said.

Municipal and state police have investigated the following armed robberies since Dec. 20:

· On Dec. 20 at 10:32 p.m., two black males held up the CEBCO Village Mart at the intersection of U.S. 11 and Pa. 914 in Marion, Pa. State police said one of the men was armed with a handgun.

· On Dec. 21 at 2:18 p.m., three men held up Greencastle Beverage Distributor at 324 W. Franklin St. in Greencastle, Pa. An employee said two of the robbers were white and one Hispanic, and two were armed with handguns.

Greencastle police said a bright green car seen leaving the area might have been connected to the robbery.

· Two masked gunmen held up Ludwig's Jewelers at 121 S. Main St. in Chambersburg, Pa., on Saturday shortly before 5 p.m., Chambersburg police said. The men were described as black and in their late teens or early 20s, police said.

· State police responded to an armed robbery Saturday night at Popeye's Chicken at 1332 Lincoln Way East in Chambersburg. Fow said he did not have details on that incident.

· Police in Waynesboro, Pa., were investigating a robbery at the Best Western at 239 W. Main St. on Sunday shortly before 9 p.m. A black male with his face obscured by a black knit cap or ski mask robbed the office at knifepoint, Sgt. Mike Bock said.

Anyone with information about the robberies may call state police at 717-264-5161; the Chambersburg Police Department at 717-264-4131; the Waynesboro Police Department at 717-762-2131; or the Greencastle Police Department at 717-597-2161.

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