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As of Wednesday, Athens Police had not yet apprehended the suspect in the robbery of the Wesbanco bank on Richland Avenue early Tuesday afternoon, which led to the evacuation of a nearby building when officers thought the suspect may have gone inside it.
Witnesses said a young man gave a teller a note indicating he had a weapon, though no witness reported seeing one. The man was described as a white man with a pale complexion, age 20-30, clean-shaven, and wearing a black baseball cap, a dark, heavy flannel shirt over a white shirt, and jeans.
The man fled south on Richland on foot, taking an undisclosed amount of cash, according to a news release from the Athens Police. While officers were searching the area for the suspect, the release said, someone working in the building next door at 507 Richland Ave. (the old Morrison-Brown building, which now contains various office suites) reported seeing a man in the building matching the description of the suspect.
Officers evacuated the building, and for some time around 30 evacuees were milling about across the street, watching the proceedings. By shortly before 2 p.m., authorities were telling them they could leave in their vehicles, and that officers would search the vehicles first if the owner wished, to check for the presence of the fugitive.
Officers searched the building using a police dog, but did not find the suspect. They do have a picture of the man, however. In addition to Athens Police, Ohio University Police, the Athens County Sheriff's Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol assisted in handling the incident.
