Wells Fargo bank robbed

On Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 9:51 a.m., a Wells Fargo located in the 900 block of Montana Avenue was robbed of about five thousand dollars. The culprit, a man wearing all black, gloves and a “Day of the Dead” skull mask with no skin exposed, has not been caught. The man entered the bank with a shotgun, demanded money and then left and jumped the back wall of the bank. Police arrived on the scene minutes later and held a five hour long search for the man, but he ultimately evaded capture. At first, the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) was unsure of how much money was stolen, but has now determined that the thief received around three to five thousand dollars. At 1 p.m., SMPD called a shelter-in-place alert and schools around the area, specifically Roosevelt Elementary and First United Methodist Church School, were put on lock down. Bus routes were also changed during the time to clear the streets in order to aid in the search for the masked man. Police reached out to homes and businesses in the area, asking for surveillance footage that may help identify the suspect; however, they did not get any leads. At 3:30 p.m., when the SMPD concluded their search for the man, the buses resumed their commutes and the lockdowns were lifted.  “We understand this has been very stressful on the community and appreciate your patience and understanding. We will continue to provide updates should any additional information become available,” Santa Monica police said via Twitter. According to the SMPD twitter, though the suspect has not been located, the police department continues to search and collaborate with the FBI, encouraging anyone with information to call in.