By Scott Beveridge

Staff writer

sbeveridge@observer-reporter.com

MONONGAHELA - Nick Matesich found himself at the wrong end of a gun Tuesday as the only customer in a bank while it was being robbed.

All Matesich wanted to do was leave the building.

"(The robber) just demanded the money real quick," Matesich, 83, of New Eagle, said after being questioned by police about the bandit who robbed a PNC Bank branch in Monongahela.

"He pointed the gun at me. He said, 'You stay.' I'm lucky I didn't take a bullet."

No shots were fired during the robbery that lasted fewer than five minutes, said Monongahela police Chief Brian Tempest.

Tempest said he was about a block away from the bank at the corner of Third and Main streets when the robbery call came in from Washington County 911 about 3:02 p.m.

The dispatcher first said the robber fled in the direction of Chess Street behind the bank building. A second dispatch, Tempest said, had the robber running south on Main Street.

There also were conflicting reports as to whether the suspect was white or black, he said.

About 45 minutes after the holdup, police learned from video surveillance across Main Street at a McDonald's that the suspect headed in yet a different direction.

The camera at the restaurant captured the suspect as he dashed north on Main Street before ducking, out of sight, behind the Monongahela Manor apartment tower, police said.

The suspect was wearing a hood over his head and a bandana covering his face, Tempest said. The robber also flashed his gun at a teller before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of money. The man is about 5 feet, 6 inches tall.

The FBI and city police walked the downtown district Tuesday afternoon without locating a suspect.

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