7/07/2009: Suspect caught in bank robbery

Police arrested a suspect Tuesday after a knifepoint robbery at White Rock Bank in Cannon Falls.

Cannon Falls police Chief Jeff McCormick said the man was arrested at about 1:45 p.m. in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. McCormick declined to identify the suspect, saying the man had yet to be interviewed by investigators.

Authorities were alerted at 12:22 p.m. after an alarm sounded at the bank. McCormick said the man threatened tellers with a knife, then left on foot with an undetermined amount of money.

The approximate size of the knife was not known late Tuesday, but McCormick said, "I'm guessing from the teller's perspective, it was a damn big one."

No one was injured in the robbery, said White Rock Bank President Brett Elford.

"Our main focus is on the safety of our workers and our customers, and they're all OK," he said.

Sheriff's deputies were called to assist Cannon Falls police, who were attempting to locate the suspect. McCormick said the suspect appeared familiar to one of his officers.

Inver Grove Heights police, acting on information from the bank and Cannon Falls authorities, arrested the man at a residence there between 1:30 and 2 p.m., McCormick said.

"It really came together quickly," he said.

The bank is located at 31377 County Road 24. White Rock Bank also has locations in Red Wing, White Rock, and Goodhue.

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