Bank teller quietly tips off deaf customer during robbery

From: Newsday - 30 Jan 2003

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) _ A bank teller unobtrusively tipped off a hard-of-hearing customer at a drive-through window during a robbery Thursday, leading police to a suspect caught trying to wash ink from an exploding dye pack off his hands.

An armed man barged into an HSBC bank and yelled out his intention to commit a robbery, then jumped on a counter and pistol-whipped a teller in the head, police Sgt. Carlos Garcia said.

Nearby, a teller at a drive-by window who was helping a hard-of-hearing customer mouthed the words "we are being robbed." The customer then drove to a liquor store and called 911.

Police said the robbery suspect was caught at a nearby business trying to wash dye off his hands after a dye pack in the money bag had exploded.

The teller who struck in the head was treated at a hospital and discharged. Another teller who complained of chest pains was taken to a hospital for observation.

Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press