Two people were detained outside a Miami-Dade bank Wednesday after a security guard spotted a car that matched the description of one that had been used in an armed robbery a day earlier, officials said.
Aerial footage showed a massive police presence outside the TD Bank at 9201 W. Flagler Street, with Miami-Dade Police vehicles surrounding the building.
Officers in tactical gear and with weapons drawn could be seen entering the bank, as nearby roads were shut down and schools in the area were placed on lockdown as a precaution.
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Officials said detectives had been following leads on an armed robbery that happened in the area on Tuesday, after a man who had taken money out at the bank was followed by two people in a black Chrysler 300 with a paper tag for a license plate.
The man had a gun pointed at him by the two suspects, who demanded his money outside a nearby dry cleaners.
"While at the dry cleaners, after the victim made his business transaction at the dry cleaners, once he was inside his vehicle, two subjects approached him, pointed a gun at him and racked the firearm twice, demanding the money that the victim had," Miami-Dade Police spokesperson Angel Rodriguez said.
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On Wednesday, a bank security guard spotted a car matching the description from the Tuesday robbery in the parking lot.
Officers detained the two people in the car and initially thought there could have been a third person in the bank but there was not.
Police haven't said if the two people who were detained were suspects in the armed robbery.
No other information was immediately known.
Retired South Florida police chief Frank Fernandez says withdrawing cash may feel routine, but people should still stay alert.
“It just didn’t happen by chance. They’ve been probably following that victim," Fernandez said. “You should change your habits consistently ... Don’t go to the same bank, use different banks. Be careful when you go into the drive-thru, be aware of your surroundings.”
Check back with NBC 6 for updates.
