By the time the train was gone, so was the thief.įifteen minutes later, he was coasting south along Sheridan Road. Metra rumbling into the station three blocks away. There were no sirens or alarms - only the sound of the 11:26 a.m. It had been less than three minutes since he exited the bank. He climbed onto the bike, clicked into the pedals, and began to ride leisurely. Not 60 seconds later, he emerged, carrying an aluminum bicycle on one shoulder and a messenger bag over the other and wearing a red, white, and blue spandex bodysuit, a silver helmet, sunglasses with yellow lenses, and a pair of cycling shoes. And so did the man, descending into a parking garage. Returning a stiff nod, the officer kept rolling. As the ATV approached, the robber smiled and waved hello, as would anyone who had not just knocked over a bank. Squeezing the shopping bag, he settled into a relaxed gait. Suddenly the man spotted a police officer riding a four-wheel ATV. The street was empty: no cars, no pedestrians. “Thank you,” he said before walking out the front door. While the teller anxiously transferred bundles of cash, the man held his hands at his heart, gently pressing his palms together as if he were about to whisper, Namaste. “Nice and easy,” he said coolly, handing over a white plastic shopping bag from Sports Authority. The man, who would later be described to the police as a slender, clean-shaven white man in his 20s wearing a light blue oxford shirt, returned the note card to his pocket. She stared at the words handwritten in black marker: “THIS IS A ROBBERY. Instead, he presented her with a 3-by-5-inch index card. The man reached to the back of his khakis, as if to fish out a wallet. “May I help you?” said the young woman behind the counter, smiling. Standing patiently by the velvet ropes, the man looked at his wristwatch. The morning of May 26, 2000, was quiet inside the LaSalle Bank in suburban Highland Park. The man in the baseball cap and sunglasses waited for the teller to notice him. This article is published in partnership with Epic Magazine.
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