ST. GEORGE — Officers and detectives were dispatched Thursday morning to a credit union on South Mall Drive after an alarm inside of the credit union was activated during a robbery.

Shortly after 11 a.m. officers responded to America First Credit Union inside of Lin’s Market on South Mall Drive on what was initially reported as an alarm activation.

St. George Police Officer Tiffany Mitchell told St. George News it was only after officers arrived that they learned the alarm was activated during a robbery at the credit union. She said once the credit union was closed to customers and the scene secured, detectives were called in. The FBI was also notified and responded to assist.

Notifying the FBI is common practice during this type of incident, Mitchell said, since they have resources and manpower on a federal level that can assist in the investigation and apprehension of the person involved.

Police say the suspect entered the credit union and demanded money from one of the bank tellers. He then fled the building through a side door and reportedly ran west with an undisclosed amount of cash. The details on whether or not there was a weapon were limited.

“What we know is that he did demand money,” Mitchell said. “But we’re not sure if he had a weapon at the time.”

The suspect is described as a white or light-skinned Hispanic male in his 30s wearing a light-blue fleece jacket with black pants and black Nike tennis shoes, each with a white stripe. The suspect was also wearing a black baseball hat with white writing in the middle of the hat.

Patrol officers began circulating through the area in search of the suspect. A broadcast was also sent out to surrounding agencies to be on the lookout for the suspect.

Meanwhile, detectives arrived at the credit union to process the scene, efforts that were still underway and will continue for some time.

Mitchell also said there were no injuries reported during the incident, adding that while bank robbery is a serious crime, it is the safety of the bank employees that is of utmost importance to investigators.

She also said that advancements in security and tracking capabilities have come a long way, but with the investigation still active, she said she could not go into any further detail.

The suspect was still at large at the time of this report. This is a developing story that will be updated as further details become available.

This report is based on statements from police, emergency personnel or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. 

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