Police hunt for suspect in Capaha Bank robbery

Cape Girardeau Police Department investigators were searching late Friday for a man who robbed Capaha Bank on William Street and fled on foot north through a wooded area near St. Francis Medical Center.

Police say the suspect is in his mid-20s to early 30s with short dark hair. At the time of the robbery, he was wearing sunglasses, a bluish-gray shirt, a two-toned cap and blue jeans. The police department received a call reporting the robbery at 10:32 a.m.

The suspect handed a bank teller a note that said he had a gun and wanted money but didn't show a weapon, said Jason Selzer, police spokesman. Investigators declined to say how much the robber took.

Anna Dienstbach said she was across the street at Burger King when she saw the suspect run through the bank parking lot. She said she lost track of him when her view was blocked by a backhoe and the hospital's sign. She said she did not see the suspect carrying a bag.

The police department's K-9 unit searched the area following the robbery, and investigators took photos and made plaster casts of shoe prints found between the bank parking lot and a hospital parking lot.

The last bank robbery in Cape Girardeau occurred at Bank of America on the corner of Cape Rock Drive and North Kingshighway on Aug. 5, 2000. Friday's bank robbery was the fifth since 1996 in Cape Girardeau.

Police are asking that anyone with information regarding the robbery to contact the department at 335-6621.

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127