THREE SOUGHT IN TAKEOVER BANK ROBBERY.

Byline: Jaxon Van Derbeken Daily News Staff Writer

A teller was pistol-whipped during a takeover robbery Tuesday of a World Savings in Woodland Hills and authorities are looking for three masked men who fled in a Cadillac.

Two of the men jumped the counter and a third stood guard during the 10:40 a.m. robbery, said Laura Bosley, spokeswoman for the FBI. A fourth suspect may have been involved, she said.

``They carried large tan canvas bags with green writing, and hit three teller stations,'' Bosley said. ``One teller was hit over the head with a gun and the manager was held down on the floor with a gun to her ear.''

Stefanie Simms, who was in the branch when the robbery occurred, said that the suspects ordered everyone to the floor. She said she saw one suspect get angry at the teller.

``They hit her in the head with a gun - she couldn't give them the key quick enough,'' Simms said.

The unidentified teller was taken away on a stretcher.

At one point during the robbery, a suspect turned and notified his accomplices: ``We have 30 seconds,'' Bosley said. At another point, the suspects became angry because although they had ordered everyone to the floor, no one was answering the branch phones.

``They were in and out and quick - they knew exactly what they were doing,'' Simms said.

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2 Photos

Photo: (1) World Savings closed briefly while authoritie s investigated a takeover robbery in which a teller was pistol-whipped.

(2) Firefighters carry out a teller who was struck with a gun during a robbery at World Savings in Woodland Hills.

Myung J. Chun/Daily News