November 20, 2006
Albany -- The gunman stuck up a busy East Albany bank early Monday morning. Albany Police questioned some men shortly after the robbery, but so far refuse to give any information.
The Region's Bank on Sylvester Road at Johnson Road was busy about 9:45, when the robber stuck it up. Betty McWilliams was in the drive-thru and said she saw the tellers inside acting nervous, and then saw the gunman.
"When I looked back I saw the hood of the man standing there. So I got my phone and called 911. And about the time I called 911, he took off," McWilliams said.
Sandra Griffith ran into the fleeing robber outside the bank door, and he tried to take her purse, but she fought him. Beverly Gordon, Griffith's daughter said, "The lady said he had her down in the flower bed over there. When he got off of her, she got up and chased him. That's Mom."
Gordon came to the bank a couple of hours after the robbery to get her mom's dog, Benji, still in the car. She said Griffith was bruised and shook up, but not hurt. But everyone was asking her why she fought the bank robber.
"That's Mom. she said she had too many credit cards and cash in her wallet."
The robber escaped in a Red Mustang, that was carjacked just blocks away minutes before the robbery. It was abandoned in the Shadowood Apartments on North Brierwood Drive minutes after the robbery.
Police also found the moneybag in the bushes, but the cash was gone. Witnesses say they saw someone jump the fence near the car, and run toward Georgetown Drive. The Georgia State Patrol helicopter hovered over the area.
Police radio reports say they were searching for two men. Police later surrounded two homes in the 700 Block of Georgetown, just a couple of blocks from where they found the Mustang get away car.
So far Police have refused to give any information on arrests or the bank robbery. Police recovered Shirley Griffith's purse outside the bank.
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