Temple police spokesman Sgt. Allen Teston said a tall, slender black man wearing what was described as light blue mechanics coveralls walked into the bank shortly before 9:30 a.m., pulled out a small caliber handgun and demanded money from the lone teller.

“She gave him an undisclosed amount of money and he walked out,” Teston said.

Police arrived within three minutes of the alarm and were able to secure a perimeter around the bank, Teston said.

“We were able to find out that the suspect had already left, so we searched the building … to make sure he was not holed up somewhere inside the building,” Teston said.

The building was secured and special agents from the FBI arrived a short time later to interview any witnesses.

“I was told there were two or three customers in the bank. There is only one teller at the desk and one at the drive-through,” Teston said. “No one was aware the bank was being robbed until he walked out and she notified other employees she’d been robbed and that was when the alarm was sounded.”

Surveillance footage later identified the suspect vehicle as a gold-colored SUV.

“We are trying to narrow that down through witness statements. Hopefully, video surveillance can help us narrow that down,” Teston said.

Investigators believe another man may have acted as the getaway driver, but that has not been confirmed, Teston said.

Authorities later released security footage of the robbery suspect, which provides a clear view of the man’s face.

The suspect is a black man, about 6 feet 3 inches to 6 feet 4 inches tall, in his mid-30s, wearing light blue coveralls.

The FBI is heading up the investigation in this case and is asking the public to phone in tips to the Temple Police Department at (254) 298-5500.

nbkirk@temple-telegram.com