By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com
GRAFORD – Graford resident Diane Love didn’t know what she was seeing or who she was following Wednesday afternoon right after the First National Bank of Graford was robbed.
Driving slowly through the area looking at property, Love said she saw a suspicious character standing next to a vehicle parked behind Morrow Grocery.
“I saw a big man with a scarf holding what looked like a bucket at first but it was a bag,” she recalled. “A bunch of red smoke was barreling out of it. Our eyes met and he started walking backwards and sideways.”
Love initially thought the red smoke was insecticide and saw the man dump something on the ground.
“That vehicle was sitting there and he hollered, ‘Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!’,” she said. “I didn’t know what had happened.”
Suspicious, Love said she drove down the road and when the vehicle “zoomed” past her towards Jacksboro, she followed for a while trying to get a license plate. “I didn’t know I was chasing bank robbers.”
“I went back to Morrow’s and looked. There was a big pile of money on the ground,” she said. When Love called 911, she learned that the Graford bank had just been robbed.
“I just stood there until [law enforcement] showed up,” she said, guarding the money on the ground and some tire tracks. “Just doing a citizen’s duty.”
Love said she was concerned about her friend, who is an employee of the bank and was inside during the robbery.
“It was pretty intense. She’s shook up pretty bad,” Love observed.
Officials with the Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s Office released descriptions Thursday of a suspect and the vehicle involved in Wednesday’s robbery of the First National Bank of Graford.
According to officials, at approximately 3 p.m. “an unknown suspect went into the First National Bank of Graford and demanded the money while displaying a small handgun.”
The suspect was described as a white male between 6 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing approximately 240 to 260 pounds. He was described as having a large build.
Officials did not release any description of the second suspect, who remained outside in the getaway vehicle.
The vehicle used to leave the area was, according to officials, “a newer model [sports utility vehicle] with a tire rack mounted on back, dark tan to green in color.” It was last seen traveling northbound on Farm-to-Market Road 4 north of Graford.
“A dye pack placed with the money did discharge upon the suspect leaving the building,” officials stated. “The suspect may have dye on his person.”
Officials encourage anyone with information to contact the sheriff’s office at (940) 659-2085 or Crime Stoppers at (940) 659-9904. Individuals can anonymously provide information; if the information leads to an arrest and indictment, they are eligible for a reward up to $1,000.
