News: Breaking news

Man at large after Associated Bank robbery

A man with a handgun robbed the Associated Bank on the 200 block of State Street early Thursday morning.

The man approached an Associated Bank employee and followed him into the bank, said Joel DeSpain, Madison Police public information officer.

DeSpain said the man told the employee and another employee already inside the bank to wait for a period of time before they called the police. The man took an undisclosed amount of money and fled.

After about 10 minutes the employees called the MPD. DeSpain said the MPD received the call at 7:41 a.m. and arrived at the scene promptly, shortly before the FBI.

The police report described the gunman as an average build, 5-foot-6-inches to 5-foot-9-inches tall, wearing a blue coat with a hood and a mask.

DeSpain said police are unsure of how much money the robber stole, adding, “Once police reports come out we might have more detail.”

To catch the perpetrator, DeSpain said “Police will look at the surveillance tape, search for any fingerprints or forensic evidence and compare it with other robberies.”

Eric Skrum, communications director for the Wisconsin Bankers Association said it is offering a reward for up to $10,000 for identifying and convicting the person responsible for the robbery.

The association will issue a statement Friday announcing the reward and requesting anyone with information on the robbery to call Madison Crime Stoppers.