In the Blair County. Nic’s Grab N Go in Altoona, Smoker’s Express in Duncansville and ARC Federal Credit have all been robbed in the month of September. According to the surveillance photos, the suspect has worn a black hoodie, a bandanna, and blue jeans to each robbery.

Lt. Ben Jones of the Altoona Police Department said, “There are some similarities that we are looking into. There’s a pretty good chance that they are related in some way or another.”

Police say that luckily there were no patrons inside the bank at the time of the robbery. Lt. Jones said that the suspect was entered the ARC Federal Credit Union at around 4pm on Tuesday, armed with a hand gun. Police believe the suspect was in and out of the bank within seconds and took off on foot.

Police say they need help from the community to help find the man responsible and that every little tip that comes in could get them closer to an arrest.

Lt. Jones explained, “It was abnormally warm. It was probably in the mid eighties. To see somebody with a bandana on and a hooded sweatshirt and jeans, lingering near a bank or in the neighborhood. If somebody would have happened to have saw him and called, we may have ben able to prevent it from happening.”

With the victims so far being connivance stores and now a bank, police say there are too many locations to keep track of in order to pinpoint the next target. 

“It’s really difficult for us to predict where the next robbery might take place,” Lt. Jones explained, “but we do step up our patrols around those types of places that could be vulnerable. Convenience stores and things like that. “

Lt. Jones advised the public on how to act if ever in an armed robbery situation. He said, “The best thing that someone can do is to just comply with whatever the individual says. No amount of money in the world is worth your personal safety. The sooner they get the money, get what they are in there for, the sooner they get out and the less chance of someone getting hurt.”

Anyone with information or who sees suspicious activity is asked to contact police.