WEST PITTSTON — Police are searching for a suspect who robbed the PNC Bank Thursday.
Luzerne County 911 confirmed a call came in for a robbery at the bank at 501 Wyoming Ave. The bank was closed as investigators went in and out of the building, and there was a sign on the door that read “building temporarily closed due to emergency.”
The state police forensics unit was on site and customers were turned away from the building.
Police have released several surveillance photos of the suspect inside the bank, but no other information was given. The photos appear to show the suspect pointing a black handgun at a staff member.
Michael Vacendak pulled up to the bank to conduct some business when he learned about the robbery.
He hoped nobody inside was hurt, and said he knew several of the employees that worked in the bank.
No arrests have been made and police are still searching for the suspect.
Officials at the Wyoming Area Intermediate Center said the school was on lockdown while police search for the suspect.
Janet Serino, superintendent for the Wyoming Area School District, said the lockdown was done “as a precautionary measure” and that nobody is allowed in the building during the lockdown. Parents were contacted via the school’s messenger system to notify them of the situation.
“We locked down all four of our district buildings simply because of the fact that we thought we needed to be cautious with the fact that there was a bank robbery at the local PNC bank,” Serino said.
The school dismissed as scheduled around 3:30 p.m. yet parents and students were still shaken by the day’s disruption.
“I was scared for the kids,” said Christy Appel, mother of Wyoming Area Intermediate Center student, Gia, 11. Christy said she was surprised an armed robbery happened so close to the school but was encouraged by how the school district handled the situation — including received calls from the superintendent alerting her the school was locked down.
Gia said her class sat in corner of the classroom while the lockdown was in place.
It was the same for Gia’s 5th grade classmate, Macy Waters, who was in gym class when the lockdown occurred.
Macy, 11, explained the students were called out of the gym and sent to the health room. She said they sat in the back of the classroom until Principal Joe Long went over the speaker system and told everyone the lockdown was lifted.
“But we practice for that,” Macy said.
Sgt. Michael Turner of the West Pittston Police Department said officers are being assisted by Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Turner added the suspect did get away with an undetermined amount of money.
Police are asking any resident with a video surveillance system in the areas of Delaware Avenue between Wyoming Avenue and Susquehanna Avenue, Second Street between Delaware Avenue and North Street, and North Street between Second Street and Wyoming Avenue to call them at 570-655-7780.
Times Leader digital coordinator Brigid Edmunds and reporter Matt Mattei contributed to this report.
