Mar 15, 2018 2 min read

Police arrested a man outside The Meadows Racetrack & Casino Thursday night after he allegedly robbed the CFS Bank branch in Bentleyville earlier in the day.

Sgt. Matt Mancini of North Strabane police said officers found a gray pickup truck reportedly linked to the robbery shortly after they arrived in search of the suspect, whom they found with another man and a woman inside the truck.

Mancini said officers homed in on the area based on the investigation by Bentleyville police Chief Rich Young into the robbery. The incident was reported shortly before 4 p.m. and closed the branch on Main Street through the end of the business day.

No charges had been filed as of press time.

“It’s still under investigation,” Mancini said. “As of right now, (the suspect) is in the custody of the Bentleyville Police Department and Chief Young.”

Mancini said it didn’t appear the trio had entered the casino.

Outside the bank earlier in the day, state Trooper Robert Schmid said no one had been injured. Surveillance footage showed a suspect getting out of the passenger side of the vehicle, he said.

Schmid described him as “a white male suspect probably in his 20s.” Schmid said the robber didn’t display a weapon, but did indicate to a teller in a note “that he might possibly have one.”

Mancini said police arrived at the casino about 7:30 p.m. They temporarily detained the second man and the woman before releasing them.

“At this point, it did not appear that they had any involvement in (the robbery),” Mancini added.

He did, however, expect them to face drug-related charges based on objects allegedly in plain view when police found them.

Members of several agencies – including Bentleyville police and the FBI, along with state police – responded to the branch Thursday afternoon.