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Whit Johnson Reporting A gun wielding robber put a bullet in the ceiling of a Sandy Credit Union today and investigators think he may have done this before. Police, along with the FBI, are working, to connect the dots.
A Cyprus Credit Union is the latest victim in what could be a string of armed robberies. They all involve a man with a gun, a single shot in the ceiling and an undisclosed amount of missing cash.
It's a search for evidence -- a bullet, a weapon, maybe a tip, something that will put an armed robber behind bars.
Sgt. Victor Quezada, Sandy City Police: "When they fire a weapon it really causes major concern for the police department and the citizens."
This morning a man with a ski mask walked into the Cyprus Credit Union in Sandy. He pulled out a gun, fired a single shot in the ceiling and demanded money. The frightened tellers complied and the man took off.
Sgt. Victor Quezada, Sandy City Police: "Very shaken up. They all did great. They did what their policy told them to do. They got out safely."
But police say this kind of robbery looks familiar. Almost two months ago, October third, it was the Mountain America Credit Union in Layton; November first the Chase Bank in Midvale; then today in Sandy.
All three were about a month apart. The suspect fit a similar description and fired a shot.
Orville Hastings, Layton Robbery Witness: "He walked in and said 'boom', and he said, ‘everybody on the floor, everybody on the ground,' and we all hit the ground."
Sgt. Victor Quezada, Sandy City Police: "Armed robberies are not uncommon. What is uncommon when somebody actually fires the weapon, discharges it."
Now the FBI has joined the investigation and says it's not uncommon for robbers to hit more than one place. While the search continues, the Utah Bankers Association is confident authorities will bring someone to justice.
Howard Headlee, Pres. Utah Bankers Association: "The good news is that no one has been hurt and we have very specific policies and procedures in place to make sure that people are safe."
Authorities don't have much of a suspect description to go on because he was wearing a ski-mask and puffy clothing. They think he's about six feet tall. If you know anything, contact authorities; there may be a reward available.
