Santa Rosa police looking for bank robber who fled on bike

Santa Rosa police are looking for a bank robber who fled on a bicycle following a theft at a Chase branch Wednesday afternoon.

The robbery was reported at about 4:45 p.m. in the 2700 block of Yulupa Avenue near Neotomas Avenue in southeast Santa Rosa.

An unidentified man entered the bank and passed a teller a note threatening to use a weapon if he wasn’t given money, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Chris Mahurin said Thursday.

At least one customer was inside the bank, but no injuries were reported, the sergeant added.

Police say the man fled “after receiving a small amount of money” and headed west across Yulupa through the Ace Hardware/Safeway shopping center.

He rode a bicycle behind the stores and across a pedestrian bridge linking the shopping center to Cactus Avenue, which is parallel to Yulupa.

Officers searched the residential area and found the bicycle at an unspecified location.

The robber is described as a white man, about 5 feet, 4 inches tall with a medium build. He wore a dark baseball cap, black sunglasses, a navy-blue long-sleeve shirt, gray sweatpants and a black gaiter-style face covering.

Investigators ask that anyone living in the Mesquite Park area who might have surveillance footage of the man to contact authorities. This area includes, but is not limited to, Cactus Avenue, Sage Street and Canterbury Drive.

Anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,500 from the Sonoma County Alliance Community Engagement and Safety Rewards Fund.

Contact investigators by calling 707-543-3590.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi