Police searching for man who reportedly said he had a gun and robbed Orleans WECU
Bellingham police are searching for a man who is believed to have robbed the WECU branch on Orleans Street Wednesday morning, Sept. 4. Initial reports of the robbery were made shortly after 10 a.m.
According to unconfirmed emergency radio broadcasts at the time, the man handed a teller a note saying he had a gun and pointed his finger to imply he had a gun, but no gun was actually seen.
The report also said he asked for $100, $50 and $20 bills, and the man got away with an estimated $1,500 from the credit union.
Broadcasts said the man is believed to have left on foot, heading west through the parking lot toward Lowe’s Home Improvement and may have been seen near “some small, portable houses” near the south end of the building.
Police have set up a perimeter in the area and, according to broadcasts, are focusing efforts to find him on trails in the area.
The man was described as 5-foot-10 and skinny, Hispanic or white and possibly having light facial hair, radio traffic said. He also has a tattoo with cursive lettering on the back of his neck and was wearing white, including white sweat pants with double grey stripes down the side.
It is the second time in less than a week that Bellingham police have sought someone who has robbed an area credit union. On Thursday, Aug. 29, law enforcement searched for several people who allegedly robbed the Industrial Credit Union in the Birchwood neighborhood.
This story was originally published September 4, 2019 at 10:59 AM.
