Boca Raton police probing bank robbery, purse snatch

By Dale M. King

BOCA RATON – Boca Raton police are investigating a robbery Feb. 11 at the Bank of America on St. Andrews Boulevard, and also a purse snatching that occurred Feb. 8 at the Fifth Avenue Shops.

Public Information Officer Sandra Boonenberg said that officers responded to the bank about 9:40 a.m. When they arrived, she said, they were told that a male had entered the building, ordered several people to the floor, pointed a black, semi-automatic handgun at the teller and demanded money.

The suspect then ran out of the bank with an undetermined amount of cash and was last seen running west from the bank, across St. Andrews Boulevard onto Verde Trail.  No one was injured, Boonenberg said.

If anyone has information about this crime, they are asked to call Detective Juan Pijuan at (561) 338-1387 or Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS.  The suspect is said to be about 6 feet tall with a muscular build, close-cropped hair, in his 30s, wearing faded jeans, white collar shirt, a dark suit-type vest, white sneakers and a fedora.

In the purse snatching incident, Boca Raton police met with a woman who said her handbag was taken while she was at the Fifth Avenue Shops at 2000 NE 5th Avenue.

Boonenberg said the woman told police she was standing in front of Sally Beauty Supply about 11 p.m. when a male grabbed her right arm from behind, turned her around, and snatched her purse off her arm.

After the suspect took her handbag, he ran behind the shops.  The woman said that since she didn’t have many valuables in her purse, she initially didn’t feel it was necessary to notify the police.

The woman described the suspect as a young male, about 5’10” tall, “well put together” and wearing a hoodie.

Police said she suffered bruises on her upper arm.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call Detective Cruz at (561) 338-1320 or Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS.