'Helmet Bandit' Robs Chase Bank

A man decked out in black and wearing a motorcycle helmet robbed the Chase Bank at 5705 W. 95th St. on Thursday morning.

Division Chief Michael Kaufmann said a white man, possibly Hispanic, walked into the bank around 10 a.m. and approached a teller. Wielding a small, black handgun, the man demanded money. There were no injuries.

“That’s all we have at this point. It’s been turned over to the FBI,” Kaufmann said.

Kaufmann said it was unknown how much money the bandit may have gotten away with.

“They have to do their accounting to find out how much money is gone,” he said.

Witnesses described the bank robber as wearing a black denim jacket, black pants and black boots. He wore a black motorcycle helmet on his head.

Oak Lawn resident Glen Kato said he had arrived for work at Cusak Insurance across the street from the bank moments after the robbery happened.

"I saw people standing outside and they told me the bank was robbed," Kato said. "Everything was sectioned off with tape around the whole building."

Kaufmann said the man possibly had an accomplice. Witnesses told police they saw the man get into a newer black car that left the scene driving southbound on Major Avenue.

A spokesman for the Chicago FBI said his office had not yet been informed of the Oak Lawn bank robbery.

Kaufmann said he wasn’t aware of other area banks being robbed by a man wearing a motorcycle helmet.

Signs in English and Spanish were posted on the bank's front door informing customers the bank was temporarily closed due to an "emergency" and referred people to other Chase bank branches in Oak Lawn.

Patch will update this story when more information becomes available.