7:48 p.m. Update:

Grand Forks Police are investigating an armed bank robbery for the second time in two weeks, and the suspects in both cases have similar descriptions and were still at large late Monday.

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Officers were called to Citizens Community Credit Union at 1215 N. 42nd St. around 12:30 p.m. Monday on a report of a robbery.

Police describe the suspect in Monday’s incident as a woman, possibly Native American, in her late 30s or early 40s, who is estimated to be about 5-foot-4 and heavyset.

According to the police statement, the woman entered the bank at 12:33 p.m., displayed a weapon and demanded money from a teller, before fleeing.

Police were looking for a tan-colored, mid-size sedan that was seen leaving the area. However, police said it was unknown if the vehicle had any involvement in the robbery. Grand Forks Police Lt. Derik Zimmel said the suspect was not reported as “seen in proximity to the vehicle” and that it may have “simply been someone going through the area.” The license plate was not reported for the car, Zimmel said.

“We’re hoping the person in the vehicle might be a good witness,” Zimmel said.

The report did not indicate whether the suspect got away with any money.

Nobody was injured during the crime, police said.

Police have not said whether Monday’s robbery might have any connection with a Sept. 30 robbery at Bremer Bank at 921 N. Washington St. Zimmel said the “description is similar” but police cannot confirm until they view surveillance footage from the credit union.

Police were working with the corporate offices of the bank Monday to obtain the footage, Zimmel said.

No arrests have been made in the earlier robbery. The descriptions of the suspects in both cases are similar, that of short, heavyset women who are possibly Native American or Hispanic.

Dean Rich, general manager of the Howard Johnson hotel next to the credit union, said no one at the hotel heard or saw anything until police asked them if they saw any suspicious activity. Rich said the hotel doesn’t have surveillance cameras outside that could help the police in finding the suspect.

“It’s kind of concerning, of course, you have a business being robbed, and it’s just a stone’s throw away,” Rich said.

Zimmel said he could not recall exactly when the last bank robbery occurred before the Sept. 30 incident in Grand Forks, but after looking at past media releases, he didn’t believe one occurred in Grand Forks in 2014.

Only two bank robberies occurred in North Dakota in 2014, compared to 42 bank robberies in Minnesota in 2014, according to the FBI 2014 bank crime report.

Police ask anyone with information about the robbery to contact the Grand Forks Police Department. Information can be provided by calling (701) 787-8000, emailing investigate@grandforksgov.com, or texting the word “Tipster” and the tip to 847411 (“TIP411”).

Original Post:

Grand Forks police are searching for a suspect in an armed robbery at Citizens Community Credit Union, 1215 N. 42nd St., that occurred shortly after noon today.

The suspect is described as a female, possibly Native American, in her late 30s or early 40s, who is estimated to be about 5-foot-4 and heavyset, according to a news release from the Grand Forks Police Department.

According to the report, a female suspect entered the bank at 12:33 p.m., displayed a weapon and demanded money from a teller, before fleeing.

Police were looking for a tan-colored, mid-size sedan that was seen leaving the area. However, police said it was unknown if the vehicle had any involvement in the robbery. Grand Forks Police Lt. Derik Zimmel said the suspect was not reported as “seen in proximity to the vehicle” and that it may have “simply been someone going through the area.” The license plate was not reported for the sedan, Zimmel said.

“We’re hoping the person in the vehicle might be a good witness,” Zimmel said.

The report did not indicate whether the suspect got away with any money.

Nobody was injured during the crime, police said.

Police ask anybody with information about the robbery or who might have been in the area around the time of the robbery to contact the department at (701) 787-8000, or to text the word “Tipster” and the tip to 847411 (“TIP411”).

Police have not said whether today’s robbery might have any connection with a Sept. 30 armed robbery at the Bremer Bank at 921 N. Washington St. Zimmel said the “description is similar” but police cannot confirm until they view surveillance footage from the credit union.

Police are currently working with the corporate offices of the bank to obtain the footage, according to Zimmel.

No arrests have been made in that robbery. The descriptions of the suspects in both robberies are similar, that of short, heavyset women who are possibly Native American or Hispanic.

Dean Rich, general manager of the Howard Johnson hotel next to the credit union, said they didn’t hear or see anything until police asked them if they saw suspicious activity. Rich said the hotel doesn’t have surveillance cameras outside that could help the police in finding the suspect.

“It’s kind of concerning, of course, you have a business being robbed, and it’s just a stone’s throw away,” Rich said.