In two TD Bank hold-ups, robbers take off in employees’ cars

No arrests in two similar bank heists in Jacksonville within 3 months

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two armed masked men went inside a TD Bank on St. Augustine Road last weekend, pointed guns at employees and demanded money. After they were handed $14,000, the robbers demanded an employee’s keys and drove off in the person’s Kia.

The robbery was similar to what played out three months ago at the TD bank on San Jose Boulevard.

In both cases, the masked used guns to demanded the vault be opened to get cash. According to both police reports, the robbers then demanded an employee’s car keys and took off in a stolen car.

News4Jax crime and Safety Expert Ken Jefferson says it’s not uncommon for robbers to hit more than one bank, but they might lie low in between.r disguise was used last Saturday.

News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said it’s not uncommon for robbers to hit more than one bank, but they might lie low in between.

“You know, if they get a substantial amount of money on the first hit, a lot of times they’ll hit again because they figure, man, this is not as complicated as we may have thought it was or thought it out. It could appear to be easy to them, so they’ll wait and hit. They’ll spend money, they’ll lay low and then they’ll decide if they’re gonna hit another bank again,” said Jefferson.

In both heists, the thieves quickly dumped the stolen getaway cars. After the most recent robbery they dumped the employee’s Hyundai Kona a mile away from the bank on Clemson Road.

“The fact that they stole a car, they probably drove to an area where they had another car or had someone there waiting for them, so they would ditch that one car that they stole because it’s hot, as you know. And then they’ll get into another one where no one knows, unless a witness sees somebody get into another car and try to get away really fast,” said Jefferson.

Law enforcement quickly recovered both stolen vehicles but have made no arrests.