A branch of Camden National Bank, in the lower left of the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons building in downtown Waterville, was robbed Tuesday morning, according to police. A man made off with an undisclosed amount of money. Amy Calder/Morning Sentinel

WATERVILLE — A man walked into the downtown branch of Camden National Bank on Tuesday morning, threatened staff, robbed the bank and left with an undisclosed amount of money, according to police.

It was the second time in less than two weeks that a downtown business was robbed, the first being the Goodwill store on The Concourse Nov. 26. The perpetrator in that crime has not been caught.

The man who robbed Camden bank Tuesday, described as 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 and wearing a green winter jacket and black mask, did not display a weapon, Waterville interim police Chief Bill Bonney said.

“He left the bank heading north (on Main Street),” Bonney said. “He was on foot, the last we knew.”

The bank is located on the ground floor of the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons at 150 Main St., which houses Colby College students and staff on the upper floors. The bank, at the corner of Temple and Main streets, is within sight of the Goodwill store, just across The Concourse.

Police officers responded to the scene after the bank robbery was reported at 9:40 a.m. and were assisted by Winslow and Fairfield police, as well as officials from the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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“We sent detectives to process the scene,” Bonney said. “We actually ran a canine track and we had a perimeter set up in the area until approximately 11 o’clock.”

Waterville police say this man robbed Camden National Bank in downtown Waterville on Tuesday and made off with an undisclosed amount of money. Police continue to search for the man. Photo courtesy of Waterville police

Police do not yet have a suspect in the robbery, according to Bonney, who said police are following up on leads.

Asked if the man who robbed the bank could be the same one who robbed the Goodwill store, Bonney said it is too early to comment on that. The armed robber in the Goodwill case was described at the time as having a thin build and being about 5-foot-9.

“We’re very early on in the investigation so I wouldn’t want to include or exclude at this point,” Bonney said.

He said police have surveillance video of the Camden bank robbery.

“There is surveillance and part of the investigation will be reviewing video in the area,” he said.

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School officials in Winslow decided to place schools in lockdown as police searched for the suspect. The high school, junior high and elementary school are about a mile from the bank and the lockdown was lifted after a couple of hours. No Waterville schools were locked down.

Bonney said bank employees were shaken by the incident.

“This is very traumatic for them as tellers and we certainly understand that and we feel for them, especially this time of year,” he said. “As we do with any crime, we’re going to do our best to bring him to justice.”

Bonney said the other law enforcement agencies that responded were helpful.

“The collaboration went very well and we appreciate our partnerships,” he said.

Early Tuesday afternoon, people who work downtown said they saw a lot of police on Main Street in the morning, but weren’t aware of what had happened.

Signs on the doors of the bank said it was closed for the day and staff apologized for any inconvenience to customers.

Bonney said anyone with information about the robbery may contact Detective Daryl Gordon, the lead investigator, at 680-4700.

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