Bank teller taken hostage in Hot Springs

Garland County Sheriffs Deputies are looking for a man who forced a bank teller to withdraw money from the the ATM before taking her hostage. Making matters worse, this is the second time this teller has been robbed in the last six months! Police and witnesses say the woman could have been seriously injured.

"Oh she was hysterical, she was hysterical," said Charles Ridley.

Charles Ridley is describing the bank teller just seconds after being robbed. He's vacationing in Hot Springs with his wife, and never thought his day would start out like this.

The teller pulled up at the First National Bank in Hot Springs.  "Somebody approached her, and made threats to her," said Lt. Rodney Neighbors.

"It all went down about 8:00 Tuesday morning, the teller told the man she couldn't get into the bank. That's when he demanded that she withdraw money from the ATM.

Once he got the money, he took her hostage, forcing the her to get in her car and drive him. They ended up a mile down the road at the Southshore Lake Resort condominium. The man jumped out and ran off.

"There was at least a half dozen police cars that showed up, they had a dog, and the dog took off after him," said Charles Ridley.

So did Ridley, but the man got away. Shaken up, the teller was still able to describe what happened in the car.

"He said 'I have a knife,' and he pulled it out, it was a foot long, he stuck the knife in her back, it did not harm her but there were marks in fact," said Ridley.

"You'll recover from it, but it'll take you awhile to get over it, she'll be shaken up for awhile," said Lt. Rodney Neighbors.

Sheriffs deputies are concentrating their efforts on making an arrest. Even though the man forced the woman to take money out of the ATM he never stepped into the bank. Therefore he will not be charged with robbing a bank, but instead with aggravated robbery and kidnapping. The First National Bank in Hot Springs was also robbed six months ago. The same teller was inside when it happened.