Would-Be Robber Left Phone Behind

A man who unsuccessfully tried to rob a Rockford bank Friday may have left important evidence at the scene, Spokane County sheriff’s spokesman Dave Reagan reported.

Shortly after the Rockford branch of the Farmers and Merchants Bank closed Friday, a man walked up to a drive-through window and asked to make a withdrawal.

The man pulled out a pistol and placed a sack in the drawer, demanding that a teller fill it with cash, Reagan said.

When the teller refused and retreated from the window, the man fled, dropping a cell phone, Reagan said. Deputies took the phone as evidence.

Deputies believe the man may have attempted to break into a Rockford home a few minutes later. A resident reported that someone unsuccessfully tried to force open a door.

The robber was described as a white male in his 20s. He wore black and white face paint and a dark, hooded sweat shirt.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.