By Amelia Kibbe
Editor-in-Chief
Police continued to search Friday for a man who on Oct. 9 robbed the Northwest Savings Bank in Olean, about a mile east of St. Bonaventure University.
Around 4:10 p.m. on Friday Oct. 9, a white male entered the bank located at 2513 W. State St. and handed the teller a note demanding money. The teller gave the man, who is somewhere between 30 and 40 years old, money and he exited the bank, located in the same plaza as Tops Markets, said Capt. Robert Blovsky of the Olean police in a press release.
Also in the release, Blovsky reported no injuries and no use of a weapon in the robbery. However, an Olean Times Herald article dated Oct. 11 reported the note handed to the teller indicated the suspect had a weapon, which he did not use.
The suspect, estimated to be 5 feet 8 inches tall, traveled southbound in the direction of the Eden Heights Assisted Living & Memory Care facility, a retirement home on South 25th Street, Blovsky said. Olean police, assisted by the New York State Police and the Cattaraugus County Sherriff’s Department, searched the immediate area, but did not locate the suspect, last seen wearing a dark colored nylon jacket with a white insignia on the front and white seams and a baseball cap with writing it on.
Gary Segrue, campus director of Safety and Security, said he and his staff learned of the robbery around 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 9 through research online. He did not provide a specific source.
At about 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 9, Segrue alerted the campus community to the at-large suspect via a Notice Board email. The email contained the time and location of the robbery, as well as a description of the suspect and asked community members to call campus security or 911 to report suspicious behavior.
Segrue again emailed the campus community, this time with pictures of the suspect taken from a bank security camera, on Oct. 10 around 7 p.m. Police had released the pictures earlier in the day on Oct. 10.
On Oct. 14, as classes resumed after midterm break at St. Bonaventure, a Notice Board email provided tips and advice for community members, instructing them what to do should the suspect be spotted or any reports of suspicious activity.
Segrue said he does not believe the suspect was ever on university property.
“I have no reason to suspect it [the presence of the suspect on campus] given certain details available about the investigation which are law-enforcement sensitive and not for public disclosure,” he said.
Segrue added that he believes university security has been diligent in regular patrols, and he did not increase security patrols after the robbery.
“I have regular contact with members of the state, county and local law enforcement agencies in regard to this investigation and other investigations of mutual interest,” Segrue said. “To date, nothing has been derived from these sources.”
Segrue said he encouraged students, staff and faculty to adhere to the safety precautions outlined in the Oct. 14 email. These included locking doors, reporting suspicious behavior and not walking alone.
According to Chief Jeffrey Rowley of the City of Olean Police, the robbery is an ongoing investigation. In an interview, Rowley declined to comment further on details of the case, such as the amount of money taken or possible leads, saying keeping some information confidential may help officers in the investigation.
In an interview, Blovsky said as of Wednesday afternoon, the department had received about 30 to 35 calls. The department, along with other agencies, continues to work to follow up on the tips, he said.
Both campus security and police said they ask anyone who saw or knows anything that may concern the robbery to call the police department at 716-376-5677. Information given can be kept confidential.
kibbeaa13@bonaventure.edu
