Commerce Bank robbed for second time this year

Commerce Bank was robbed yesterday afternoon for the second time this semester. The robbery occurred at 4:18 p.m. when a man entered the bank, located at 3731 Walnut Street, and handed the teller a note demanding money. According to University Police Chief Maureen Rush, the suspect got away with $2,000 in cash. The entire crime was caught on a surveillance videotape, which Rush said provides a clear image of the suspect. The suspect was also pictured on a University Police closed-circuit television camera as he was fleeing the scene. "There's a good probability of solving this because of the tapes," said Rush, who is also the acting Vice President for Public Safety. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is working on the case in conjunction with the Penn and Philadelphia police forces. The teller described the suspect as an African-American man in his mid-20s, about 6'1" tall, with a medium build and a medium complexion. He was wearing a black leather jacket and a black skullcap with a Polo logo at the time of the incident. Upon leaving the bank, the suspect fled west on Walnut Street toward 38th Street on foot. None of the witnesses reported seeing the man display a weapon. There were no injuries. The first Commerce Bank robbery this semester occurred on October 21, when a man with a simulated weapon reportedly robbed the bank in broad daylight. The man got away with $700 in cash. He was later arrested by the FBI after allegedly robbing a bank in southern New Jersey. According to Penn Det. John Peterson, the suspect admitted to committing the Commerce Bank robbery but has not yet been tried. His name has not been released. Commerce Bank was also robbed in July 1999, March 1997 and March 1996. Peterson said he believes the FBI, which handles bank robberies, has a good chance of nabbing the suspect. "I'd say it's an 83 percent chance," Peterson said, quoting a national statistic on the percentage of bank robbers who are eventually captured.