Seeking Information on Robbery of TCF Bank Branch in Minneapolis

On February 28, 2011, at approximately 9:00 a.m., the TCF Bank branch located at

1444 West Lake Street

in Minneapolis, was robbed by a lone man. The robber waited in line for an available teller. When he got to a teller window he provided a demand note to the teller. The teller complied and provided the robber with an undisclosed amount of cash. The robber then told the teller that he would shoot him if he did not provide more money. The teller told him he did not have any more money to give the robber. The robber then displayed what appeared to be a mace container, and pointed it at the teller. The robber pulled the trigger on the container, but it appeared that it did not activate. The robber then left the bank and entered a stolen 1996 tan Acura. It had been parked outside the bank, and there was another man waiting in the vehicle. The Acura left the area, and was involved in an accident a short time later at the corner of

South 24th Street

and

Bryant Avenue South

in Minneapolis. While traveling at a high rate of speed, the Acura crashed into a BMW with two people in it, as well as several parked cars.

The bank robber, bleeding from the face, then encountered a woman who was warming up her car before leaving for work. The robber tried to steal her silver Ford Taurus, but she resisted. The robber told his accomplice to shoot her, and she stopped struggling with the robber. No weapon was actually observed. The robber and his accomplice then fled the area in her car, traveling at a high rate of speed, southbound on

Colfax Avenue

. That vehicle was subsequently recovered and is currently in possession of the Minneapolis Police Department. The occupants of the BMW suffered minor injuries, and the woman whose Taurus was carjacked did not sustain any injuries. Both airbags in the stolen Acura were deployed, and some money, a red baseball cap, and some blood were observed in that vehicle by responding Minneapolis police officers and FBI agents.

The robber did not display a gun at the bank, and the bank teller did not sustain any physical injuries. The bank robber is described as an Hispanic male, in his early to mid 30s, about 5’6” tall, and having a small to medium build. He wore a black jacket, blue jeans, black boots and gloves, and a red baseball cap. His accomplice is described as a white male, 35-40 years old, with short cropped blond or light brown hair, wearing a multi-colored blue and yellow jacket.

The Acura used as the getaway vehicle in the bank robbery was reported stolen on Saturday from a halfway house located at

2825 Lake Street

in Minneapolis. Gregory Scott Tyler, 49, is a suspect in the theft of that vehicle. Tyler is being sought by law enforcement for violating his release from the halfway house and for being a suspect in the theft of the Acura.

Ralph S. Boelter, Special Agent in Charge of the Minneapolis Office of the FBI, requests that anyone with information regarding this bank robbery and carjacking incident contact the Minneapolis FBI Office at 612-376-3200, the Minneapolis Police Department at 612/348-2345, or Crime Stoppers at 800/222-8477.