San Diego

Masked Robber Shoots Victim Using ATM Outside Lemon Grove Bank

The victim was using the ATM outside the Union Bank on Lemon Grove Avenue when a man wielding a handgun demanded money and shot him in the leg

A robber wearing a mask shot a man Wednesday as the man was parked in front of a walk-up ATM outside a bank in Lemon Grove, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said.

SDSO Sgt. Jacob Klepach said the victim had pulled up to the Union Bank on Lemon Grove Avenue south of Broadway around noon to use the ATM outside the building.

Klepach said that before the victim got out of his car, an unknown man wearing a mask or bandana covering his face walked up to the victim, pointed a handgun at him and demanded money.

The men got into a brief struggle and the victim was shot once in the leg.

The sergeant said the suspect ran away and got into a smaller, black SUV-type getaway car. The vehicle was last seen heading northbound on Lemon Grove Avenue.

Klepach said employees at the bank ran outside to help the shooting victim and called 911. The victim was taken to a Scripps Mercy Hospital and is expected to survive his injuries.

At this point, Klepach said investigators have only a vague description of the suspect: He was wearing an orange shirt, hat, sunglasses, and some sort of mask. Deputies did not release a height or weight on the suspect.

A few witnesses in the area heard the gunshots including one man who did not want to be identified.

β€œI heard a gunshot and I turned, and the shooter – who was dressed in an orange shirt and pants – yelled and ran away,” he recounted.

The witness saw the victim bleeding from the leg. He said the man was silent and clearly in shock.

β€œI just hope the guy is okay,” the witness told NBC 7.

Klepach said the investigation is ongoing. He is looking to see if security cameras at the bank captured any images of the armed robbery.

As of 4 p.m., the suspect remained at large.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,00 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. Anonymous tips can be made with Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

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