BANK ROBBERY NETS NEARLY $15,000 AUTHORITIES SEEK THREE IN TAKEOVER.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Authorities are looking for three men who held up a Lancaster bank in a takeover-style robbery and made away with nearly $15,000 in cash.

Two men entered the Bank of America branch in the 1000 block of West Avenue K just before 6 p.m. Monday and while one jumped the counter to gather the money, the other acted as a lookout before they fled in a stolen car driven by a third man.

``They went into the bank and yelled `this is a robbery' and demanded everybody to get down,'' said Deputy Bobby Rush.

Witnesses told deputies that one man entered the bank in a black ski mask and blue ski jacket and began yelling for customers to get down. He held one hand in his jacket pocket like he had a gun, but never displayed one.

A second man entered the bank and began pacing back and forth across the bank floor, watching the customers and looking out the windows.

The masked man jumped the counter and began emptying a cash drawer into a bag, picking up a stack of banded bills which included an explosive dye pack.

The two men ran from the building into a waiting white 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass, which sped away eastbound.

An alert customer took down the car's license plate and deputies later discovered the car had been stolen.

The car was found behind the Target store in the same shopping center. In the front seat was the money bag, stained with red ink from the dye pack, and a few bills left behind. A toy hand gun was also found from the car.

Deputies searched the nearby area but did not locate the men.

Investigators said both men who entered the bank were described as young African-American men with no further details.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call the Lancaster sheriff's station at [phone].