
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 10, 1995                   TAG: 9503100059
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

ARMED MAN ROBS VARO CREDIT UNION

A man brandishing a handgun robbed the Roanoke VARO Federal Credit Union at 5005 Melrose Ave. N.W. at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, the city's third armed bank robbery in five weeks. Investigators were looking at the possibility the same suspect committed the crimes, according to Roanoke police.

In Thursday's robbery, a man carrying a dark-colored handgun handed a teller a bank bag, demanded money and fled north on Gilford Road with an undetermined amount of cash, police said. The man wore a dark stocking cap with eye holes cut in it.

At 5:55 p.m. Feb. 24, a robber with a black handgun entered the First Union Bank at 301 McClanahan St. S.W. and ran toward the counter. The man threw a pillow case at the teller and demanded money, telling her several times to hurry up. He wore a black ski mask with eye holes cut out. He fled with an undetermined amount of cash.

At 12:40 p.m. Feb. 2, a man wearing a ski mask and gloves walked into the NationsBank at 2206 Melrose Avenue N.W., threw a pillow case at the teller and demanded money. The suspect then ordered all of the bank employees to get down on the floor. No one was injured. The suspect fled on foot. In that incident, the suspect did not display a weapon.

The FBI also is investigating the crimes.

by CNB