An unknown man robbed an Oxford, Iowa, bank on Wednesday before fleeing in a stolen car with an undisclosed amount of money, authorities say.
According to Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek, the incident occurred just after 11 a.m. at First Trust & Savings Bank.
The suspect displayed a handgun during the robbery, though authorities have not confirmed whether he fired the weapon. Nobody was injured during the incident.
According to authorities, the suspect left in a gray 2004 Mazda MX6, which he had stolen near the bank. The car has Iowa Hawkeye personalized plates HILSTOY.
He is described as a white male, 6-2, with a thin build and dark hair. He wore a dark-colored sweatshirt and dark khaki pants with side pockets.
Though Pulkrabek said he was aware of similarities between this robbery and other recent incidents, he could not release whether there was a direct connection.
In one of those incidents, a bank heist in Slater, Iowa, the alleged robber ditched the stolen vehicle about two miles from the bank and was picked up in another car. Another similar incident took place Oct. 16 in St. Charles, Iowa. In that case, the man allegedly took the keys to a bank employee’s car and fled the scene. The vehicle was later discovered outside the city limits.
Pulkrabek said he would consider anyone suspected of a bank robbery to be dangerous, because it is an “act of desperation.”
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted by the FBI and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The Iowa State Patrol, North Liberty police, Coralville police, and the Department of Natural Resources also assisted at the scene.