Bluffton bank robber — armed with only a note — takes cash

Armed with only a note, a robber got away with cash from a Bluffton Road branch bank just after noon Wednesday.

A panic alarm was pressed by a teller inside Palmetto State Bank around 12:30 p.m., according to Joy Nelson of the Bluffton Police Department.

Nelson said the suspect — described as a white male who is 5-foot, 8-inches tall, wearing a black hat and black shirt — held up a note demanding money.

He did not show a weapon before he was given an undisclosed amount of money and ran away from the bank.

Nelson would not say what was written on the suspect’s note.

She said Wednesday’s robbery is the second the bank has experienced since 2006. The most recent robbery was reported in 2012.

The Bluffton department is being assisted by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and the S. C. Highway Patrol in the investigation.

A perimeter was set up and officers continued to patrol the area on Wednesday afternoon. Police finished processing the scene inside the bank about 2 p.m. The Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit was brought to the scene in an effort to track the suspect.

Police have asked those with information about the suspect or his location to call Sgt. Laura Rutland at 843-505-4929.

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Bluffton bank robber — armed with only a note — takes cash."