VICTORIA -- A man wearing a Santa hat robbed a Nanaimo bank Monday just days before the last Christmas of the decade.
According to Nanaimo RCMP, the robbery occurred at approximately 2:10 p.m. at the Bank of Montreal located at the Terminal Park Shopping Centre.
The lone Santa hat-wearing man allegedly approached a bank teller, told them that they had a weapon and demanded cash from the bank.
Police say that the teller then handed the man an undisclosed amount of money, at which point he turned and fled. Police say that the robber was last seen running through the Terminal Park Shopping Centre parking lot in a northbound direction.
The Nanaimo RCMP add that most of the clothing that the man was wearing at the time of the theft was left behind as he fled through the parking lot. The discarded clothing includes the Santa hat, a leather jacket, gloves and sunglasses. Police have since gathered all of the clothing.
The bank robbery suspect is described as a white man between 40 to 50 years of age. He is approximately 5' 8" tall with a medium build and brown and grey goatee. At the time, he was wearing a Castle and Crooks hoody.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345 or call crime stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
