Police seek would-be bank robber
<p>Ponderay Police say a man in his 20s, seen above in a still from a security camera, walked into the Mountain West Bank in Ponderay and demanded money. The man fled after realizing an employee tripped a panic alarm. (Photo courtesy PONDERAY POLICE)</p>
PONDERAY — Ponderay experienced its first bank robbery in 13 years Friday morning.
A man dressed in a green, one-piece jumpsuit walked into the Ponderay branch of Mountain West Bank, 476655 Highway 95, at approximately 10:25 a.m. and asked to speak with the manager.
The man then told the manager he was armed, and demanded an undisclosed amount of money, according to the Ponderay Police Chief Michael Hutter.
A silent robbery alarm was activated by a bank employee, according to Hutter.
The suspect fled the bank without any money when he realized the alarm had been activated.
“He saw the employee hit the panic button and left the premises,” Hutter said.
The would-be bank robber fled on foot, heading east along Triangle Drive.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 20s, 5-foot, 8-inches tall, with a thin build, light brown hair, and lightly unshaven. He was wearing an olive drab one-piece jumpsuit, a floppy desert camouflage hat and sunglasses, according to the police.
Officials with Mountain West refused to disclose any information about the robbery, deferring to law enforcement.
The suspect remained at-large as of 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Anyone with information about the identity of the suspect is asked to contact the Ponderay Police Department at (208)265-4251, or Bonner Dispatch at (208) 265-5525.