Police investigating bank robbery

Jacksonville police are still searching for a suspect they say attempted to rob a Western Boulevard bank Monday afternoon.

Police responded to a robbery call at First Citizens Bank near the Jacksonville Mall, but the suspect had already run away and jumped a creek in a wooded area behind the bank.

The suspect entered the bank and left on foot around 3 p.m. His direction of travel is unknown, said JPD Deputy Chief Paul Spring.

K-9 units and plain clothes police armed with automatic machine guns searched the wooded area behind the bank and set up a perimeter around surrounding neighborhoods.

Investigators describe the suspect as a white male in his mid-20s, wearing glasses, with long brown hair. The suspect was also wearing a tan ball cap and a blue zip up hoody.

Crime Stoppers of Onslow County is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Anyone with information concerning this incident can contact the Jacksonville/Onslow Crime Stoppers at 910-938-3273 or the Jacksonville Police Department at 910-455-1472. Callers do not have to reveal their identities.

Contact crime reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8456. Read Lindell's blog at http://onslowcrime.encblogs.com.