Suspected bank-robbery bomb at Westside credit union

       The 2100 block of West Colorado Avenue was closed to traffic for about 2 ½ hours July 22 after police responded to a bank robbery in which the perpetrator left behind an apparent bomb.
       No one was injured. The bomb was deactivated and is being analyzed by federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms specialists to see “if it had the components to explode” and if so how powerful a blast it might have been, according to Lt. Rafael Cintron of the Colorado Springs Police Department.
       The incident began about 10 a.m. July 22 when the robber entered the Fitters Local 5 Credit Union, 2132 W. Colorado Ave., placed the apparent bomb on the counter and demanded money. After being given an undisclosed amount, the robber departed, leaving behind the bomb.
       The suspect, who was still at large this week, was described as a Caucasian male possibly in his 50s, 5 foot-11, 185 lbs., lean in build, wearing a blond wig, green baseball cap, green flannel shirt and blue jeans. The suspect carried the IED into the credit union inside of a black backpack.
       In addition to the credit union, houses along the 2100 block of West Colorado Avenue were evacuated when police arrived. The block on the avenue was closed off while the CSPD Explosive Unit defused the bomb.
       Cintron said robbers have been known to use “hoax” bombs, not a “real device” such as this one appears to have been. He described the bomb as an IED (improvised explosive device).
       The CSPD asks anyone with information on the robbery to contact the CSPD Robbery Unit at 667-2786 or (if they wish to remain anonymous) call Crime Stoppers at 634-STOP.

Westside Pioneer article