Detectives are looking for a man they said stabbed a bank employee with a syringe in Manatee County.
According to reports, the man entered Iberia Bank on 14th Street W in Bradenton on Friday while wearing a motorcycle helmet.
The man asked for assistance from the bank manager. While she was helping him, he pulled out a syringe and stuck her in the arm, detectives said.
The man then jumped behind the counter and emptied a drawer with an unknown amount of money before fleeing the bank.
The employee was taken to Blake Medical Center and treated for minor injuries.
Man suspected in similar bank robbery
Deputies said they think the same man was responsible for a similar crime a week earlier, although in the first instance, he only threatened the employee.
On May 18, police responded to a report about an armed robbery at the Chase bank on Manatee Avenue E.
Police said the suspect walked into the bank and asked about opening a checking account. Bank employees said they were suspicious of him because he was wearing a medical mask, which concealed his face.
The suspect displayed a syringe with an unknown liquid inside of it, then demanded money from the teller while threatening the other employees, police said.
The man then ran from the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.
Police describe the suspect as standing six feet tall and weighing between 150 and 160 pounds. He has dark hair and was wearing a white long-sleeved button-down shirt, blue jeans, black shoes, a white baseball cap, sunglasses and a medical mask.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Bradenton Police Department at 941-932-9300 or Detective Jeff Beckley at 941-932-9328.
To remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000, call Crime Stoppers (toll free) at 1-866-634-8477 (TIPS) or send an anonymous E-Tip thru the web at www.manateecrimestoppers.com