Police are searching for a man who they say robbed a Chase bank in downtown Evanston on Friday afternoon.
The man took more than $2,600 from the bank, 901 Grove St., according to authorities. No one was hurt in the robbery, which happened about a block north of the Evanston Police Department headquarters and led to a brief manhunt that snarled public transit.
At about 3:30 p.m., the man entered the bank, walked up to a teller and demanded money, police said. He passed the teller a note suggesting he had a gun, but he never showed one.
The FBI responded to the incident. Evanston police are investigating.
Surveillance footage captured the man inside the bank and later crossing Sherman Avenue on Grove Street, an intersection about a block east of the bank. Police described him as a Latino or white man who is 35 to 45 years old, is 5 foot 8 and has a heavy build. He was wearing a black hat, a blue button-down shirt, black pants, sunglasses and a dark-colored backpack.
Police looked for the man but could not find him. Evanston Police Cmdr. Jay Parrott said the CTA and Metra temporarily halted their service so authorities could check trains near the transit agencies’ stops on Davis Street.
CTA spokeswoman Tammy Chase said the El was stopped for about 15 minutes at the Davis Street station along the Purple Line and resumed about 4 p.m.
Two Metra trains were delayed 12 and 19 minutes along the Union Pacific North Line in Evanston, Metra spokeswoman Meg Riley said. They were running again by 3:45 p.m.
Authorities are encouraging anyone with information about the robbery to call EPD at 847-866-5000 or the FBI’s Chicago office at 312-421-6700, as well as use EPD’s Text-a-Tip program by texting “EPD TIP” to CRIMES (274637).
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PatrickSvitek
