Sep 19, 2007 7:10 am US/Central
Police Investigate Possible Kidnapping, Robbery
Farmington, Minn. (AP) ―
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Authorities say the suspect, claiming to be a law enforcement officer, entered a home in rural Dakota County around midmorning and handcuffed a woman who was caring for her 2-year-old grandson.
CBS
Authorities are investigating a kidnapping and bank robbery Tuesday in which the mother and son of the bank branch manager were held hostage until the suspect received about $20,000 in ransom, the Dakota County sheriff's office said.
The male suspect, claiming to be a law enforcement officer, entered a home in Empire Township near Farmington around midmorning and handcuffed a woman who was caring for her 2-year-old grandson, Chief Deputy Dave Bellows said.
The suspect then drove her and the child to a TCF Bank in Apple Valley, where the woman's daughter, Shannon Hatch, is the branch manager.
The kidnapper called the bank manager and threatened to harm his two hostages. She was instructed to leave the bank with a case of cash, and then leave the money behind an ice arena in Farmington near the trash cans.
"The daughter complied with the instructions" and the suspect picked up the money shortly before noon, Bellows said.
Investigators said the bank manager called the FBI before making the drop, but they declined to comment on whether she was authorized to take the money from the bank.
The suspect then dropped the grandmother and boy off at a Farmington kindergarten, where she called police. Staff locked down the kindergarten when they learned of the incident.
"At no time were children or staff of the kindergarten center in any danger," Bellows said.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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