The Ctizens Bank in South Russell, Ohio was robbed last Wednesday afternoon. Although the police station is just down the street, officers said the bank's emergency button was too slow and the female suspect was simply too fast.
The woman wearing sunglasses and a big fashionable black hat, stormed into the bank around 1 p.m. that day.
"We don't see robberies very often," said Chief Michael Rizzo of the South Russell Police Department.
Passing a threatening note to the teller, she was able to snag $4,300 from the bank.
"The teller was real good. The teller actually tried to keep the note, but the suspect asked for the note back," Chief Rizzo said.
All the while this was happening, police sat just 100 yards from the incident, but were delayed in their response.
The police said, "we got the alarm through our dispatch, a couple minutes later, we were on scene within 30 seconds."
By that time, the woman was long gone.
"We're right across the street basically, and we still missed her, but it is kind of frustrating," police said.
Being this is the first bank robbery the small city of only 5,000 residents has seen, the police chief said they had no way of knowing the emergency button would've had that kind of delay.
"If it was more of an instant alarm then it would go direct to our dispatch, we would've had her for sure, but that's kind of disappointing," he said.
Still under investigation by the FBI, Chief Rizzo said they believe there might be a connection to other robberies in the area.
"The suspect stated if she didn't comply, two men with guns were going to come into the bank...they're claiming the same words are being uttered at some of these other robberies."
And while he's disappointed she slipped through their fingers, he said it's a learning lesson for the future.
"You never know, somebody could try to pull the same stunt twice, and we'll be ready for them next time," he said.
Police and investigators are urging anyone with any information to come forward as soon as possible with anything they know.
