Police investigating the aggravated robbery of a bank in Palmerston North yesterday (Thursday, 17 September) hope images of the car used in the crime will help jog the memories of potential witnesses.
The ANZ in Terrace End was targeted around 10.45am. One man threatened bank staff with a long barrelled gun stealing an undisclosed sum of cash. A second man was waiting in a stolen car outside the bank which was found abandoned about an hour later in the Kelvin Grove area of the city.
The maroon Mitsubishi RVR had been stolen over night from a house in Highbury with the thieves smashing the front passenger window in order to steal it.
Detective Sergeant Dave Thompson said: "It was reported stolen around 7.30am so was stolen some time during the night or early in the morning. At the very least that means it would have been parked up somewhere in the area for some hours before the robbery. Someone may also have seen it being driven erratically, or at speed, away from the Highbury address from which it was stolen, or away from the bank after the robbery."
The car is fairly distinctive with two-tone colouring consisting of a maroon body with grey sills. It has a front bull bar, central yellow headlamps, roof bars and 'RVR' written in large white letters on the rear driver's side wing.
Although the passenger window was smashed it may just have appeared to the public as if it were open. Witnesses near the bank have described the armed offender as getting out the back of the vehicle. This suggests it may have been travelling around with one man in the driver's seat and the other in the rear passenger seat which may have struck members of the public as unusual.
Enquiries are ongoing to see whether the car would have needed fuel between being stolen and being used in the robbery. In the meantime police are keen to hear from staff at service stations if they believe this vehicle went through their forecourt.
The man who went into the bank was described as quite short wearing dark clothing including a hoodie, and had some sort of bandana covering his face. There is always a chance that this clothing was later discarded and police would like to hear from anyone finding discarded clothing that might be linked to this investigation. The driver is believed to be a taller man and both have been described as of Maori appearance.
Police discovered the abandoned car after being alerted by a member of the public to suspicious behaviour in the Kelvin Grove area. Both the men were running away on foot at this point although it can't be ruled out that they got into another vehicle.
Detective Sergeant David Thompson said: "Everything we know at the moment suggests these men are local and familiar with the area so we strongly believe the key to identifying them is the public of Palmerston North."
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Palmerston North Police Station on 06 351 3600 or the Crime Line on 0800 808585.
Media enquiries should be referred to Communications Manager Kim Perks on 06 351 2546 or 027 234 8256.
