Four gun-wielding thieves struck a branch of the Popular Savings and Loan Association (Associacion Popular de Ahorros y Prestamos) and made off with over DR$400,000 (around US$25,000) last Friday. Only one of the thieves, who were described by bank employee Maria Isabel Garcia as "very young," took the trouble to wear a mask. The heist took place around 3:30 p.m. at the bank’s branch on the busy intersection of Nu?ez de Caceres and Gustavo Mejia Ricart Avenues in Santo Domingo. The quartet entered guns in hand, and forced the lone security guard to lie down before approaching the tellers’ cages. Unnamed witnesses stated that the gang parked on Gustavo Mejia Ricart Avenue, though none could provide details about their getaway vehicle. Police investigators are reported to have arrived at the scene within minutes and began interviewing witnesses, dusting for fingerprints, and showing pictures of known bank robbers to employees. No video of the crime was made since the targeted branch lacks a closed circuit TV security system. This is the second time in a month that a Popular Savings and Loan Association branch lacking closed circuit security cameras has been robbed.
