Armed man robs bank downtown

A man dressed as a construction worker and armed with a pistol robbed a bank in downtown Palo Alto on Friday, police said.

The robbery was reported shortly before 5:30 p.m. at the Comerica Bank at 250 Lytton Ave. Officers arrived moments later and searched for the man but did not find him.

No customers were inside the bank when the robber walked in, approached a female teller and lifted his shirt, revealing a black semiautomatic handgun tucked into his waistband, Palo Alto police Capt. Zach Perron said.

Perron said the robber demanded cash and when the teller went to a back room, he jumped over the counter and took money from an open drawer. He then left the bank and ran south on Ramona Street.

The teller described the robber as white, in his early 30s and at least 6 feet tall. He also had a goatee and was last seen wearing sunglasses, a bright orange sweatshirt, black jeans and a white construction helmet over a black T-shirt wrapped around his head.

No other bank robberies have been reported in Palo Alto recently. Perron said detectives are working to see if the crime is connected with others elsewhere in the Bay Area.

Anyone with information about the bank robbery can contact Palo Alto police at 650-329-2413. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call or text 650-383-8984 or email paloalto@tipnow.org.