The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating an attempted robbery at the Wells Fargo bank in Cashiers, located at 68 State Rte 107, Tuesday morning by an unknown suspect.
Jackson County Sheriff Doug Farmer told The Crossroads Chronicle that 911 dispatch received a call about the attempted robbery at 11:18 a.m. on Tuesday. A Jackson County Sheriff’s Department deputy arrived on scene approximately six minutes later.
There were no injuries reported and security footage from the bank shows the suspect, according to police reports a Spanish-speaking male, to be wearing a gray hoodie, a gray face mask, and a dark colored jacket. He is thought to have been unarmed, but images also show multiple wires protruding from his clothing and that he may have been holding an improvised detonator of some kind.
The suspect was unsuccessful in his robbery attempt and was seen fleeing on foot into a nearby wooded area. At 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday, authorities began an on-foot search for the man with the assistance of K-9 units.
“After a search of the area around the bank, we believe the suspect likely fled in a vehicle,” Farmer said. “We also believe the device he had on to be fake and that he has left the area. We do not believe there is any ongoing danger from him in the area, but there will be increased law enforcement presence there for a while.”
The Highlands Police Department also responded to the call and notified all Highlands businesses to be aware of the situation. Perimeter patrols throughout the business district and at local banks were initiated.
All schools in the area were notified as soon as the call was received and were instructed to implement proper safety protocols. Blue Ridge School and Summit Charter School both went into soft lockdowns and statements regarding the situation were released to the families.
As of press time Wednesday, officials with Wells-Fargo have declined to comment and the suspect remains unidentified and at large.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office encourages all citizens to remain alert and report any suspicious behavior immediately to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Crime Stoppers at 828-631-1125.