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For the third time in three days an Austin bank has been robbed. The latest was Wednesday afternoon at the Benchmark bank on West 35th near the Seton Medical Center.
Austin police and members of the violent crimes task force sealed off access to the Benchmark bank with yellow crime scene tape. Investigators said a man walked in shortly after noon and demanded money.
"The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash and left on foot. There were no injuries and no weapons displayed,” said APD spokesperson Destiny Winston.
The bandit is described as follows:
- Black male
- Approximately 5'9" to 6' in height
- Medium build
- Approximately 170 lbs
- Bald
- Salt and pepper beard
- Missing or chipped upper side tooth
- Last seen wearing white t-shirt with navy blue stripes, dark jeans and dark shoes with white soles
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Robbery tip line at (512) 974-5092, Crime Stoppers at (512) 472-TIPS or text “Tip 103” + your message to CRIMES. You may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 if your tip leads to an arrest or charges being filed.
Tuesday a Benchmark bank a few blocks away on north Lamar was robbed. Monday, directly across the street from the most recent hold up, a Wells Fargo bank was robbed. Security cameras captured images of that suspect. Police had a hard time making identification because they weren't quite sure if the person was a man or a woman.
Late Wednesday, Austin police announced they arrested a woman. She was identified as Michelle Crawford. The Wells Fargo arrest is why investigators came to a quick conclusion about Wednesday’s Benchmark suspect.
"This robbery is not connected to the other two robberies that occurred this week,” said Officer Winston.
As a precaution Bryker Woods Elementary, which is about a block away from the bank, was briefly put on lockdown.