Repeat of Previous MO: Bank Robbers Strap Bomb to Abducted Teller
A
bank teller was kidnapped early September 24 from his home by robbers who
strapped a suspected bomb to his chest and used him to steal money from a Bank
of America branch near the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida
according to the FBI. The suspected explosive device was safely removed, and
the teller was brought out of the bank shortly before noon. The device remained
in the bank at midday and authorities were working to detonate it, said a
lieutenant of the Coral Gables Police Department. A major South Florida
thoroughfare, U.S. 1, was closed for hours in both directions at the height of
rush hour. Three local schools were on lockdown as a precaution, and the
University of Miami sent out a campus-wide alert. The incident began with a
home invasion at an apartment complex in the suburb of Kendall, where the bank
teller lived. Three suspects later took the teller to the Coral Gables bank,
used him to steal an undetermined amount of cash, and then made a getaway in a
stolen red Ford Mustang. Police were still investigating whether the teller was
involved in the crime or just a victim.
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