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Robbers hit bank in Cashiers
By Lynn Hotaling
For the second time in as many months a Cashiers bank has been robbed.
Two men armed with handguns entered Macon Bank on U.S. 64 East shortly after 9 a.m. last Thursday (Feb. 23) and left with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to Capt. Steve Lillard of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
The two suspects fled the bank on foot, exiting a back door. Deputies have reason to believe that a dark-colored Chevrolet Tracker, which was seen in the vicinity of the bank at the time of the robbery, may be involved, Lillard said.
A security camera at Macon Bank in Cashiers captured this image of one of the men who robbed the bank shortly after 9 a.m. last Thursday (Feb. 23). This man and another suspect fled the scene on foot through a rear door. A dark-colored Chevrolet Tracker seen in the vicinity of the bank, similar to the one below, is believed to be involved.
Both men were described as having dark hair and as being between 5 foot 7 to 5 foot 9 inches tall. One was wearing a camouflage pullover with a hood and a red cap. The other was wearing a dark-colored pullover with a hood, Lillard said.
According to Sheriff Jimmy Ashe, one suspect went around the counter and held a gun to a teller’s head and ordered her to empty her cash drawer. The robbery took only about a minute, he said.
Cashiers’ United Community Bank was robbed Dec. 19 at approximately 9:30 a.m. by two men who were described as “young and slim” and said to have similar builds.
While there are strong similarities between the two robberies, law enforcement officials are unable to say whether the two are connected, Ashe said.
The Sheriff’s Office is distributing fliers in Cashiers with security-camera photos and vechicle descriptions, Ashe said.
The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by several agencies from surrounding jurisdictions including the Macon and Transylvania sheriff’s offices, Cashiers-Glenville Fire Department, Jackson County Fire Marshal and Blue Ridge Public Safety.
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