Woman beaten during credit union robbery attempt

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) --An employee of a Fort Wayne credit union was hospitalized after being hit several times by a man who was trying to rob the place. He apparently was upset that there was no cash available.

According to a Fort Wayne Police Department spokesperson, the female employee was approached from behind by a man after she arrived to open up the Freedom Financial Credit Union located at 1802 Inwood Drive just after 8:30 am.  After forcing the employee inside, the man began hitting her in the head and face with some sort of object after she was unable to provide him with any cash.  Police don't know what the object was.  The man then took off on foot.  The woman was taken to a local hospital in fair condition.

Search crews scanned the area and used a K-9 unit which led them to the 2000 block of Bayview Drive; that's where the trail was lost. Police believe he may have left the area in a car that was waiting in a nearby apartment complex. 

Police so far only have a vague description of the suspect.  He's a black male who was last seen wearing a black-colored hooded sweatshirt with a black-colored covering over his face.

Concordia Elementary School was on lockdown for over an hour because of the manhunt.

Anyone with information reference this investigation is asked to contact the City of Fort Wayne Police Department at (260) 427-1222, or Crime Stoppers at (260) 436-7867.

This same credit union had been robbed on November 18, 2011, and on December 16, 2011.

Edgar Rumrill has been called a hero at Freedom Financial.  In November, he put a stop to an attempted robbery there by elbowing the suspect in the head .  But Rumrill calls Tuesday's attempt the last straw.

"Somebody needs to do something, whether it be the Fort Wayne Police Department or I'll even do it myself.  I'm not afraid," Rumrill said.  "I've done it before and I'll do it again.  I'll stop them again."

Employees at the credit union said Tuesday morning's battery victim has been released from the hospital and has lacerations to her head.  Several customers have offered to walk her into the credit union to make sure she's safe from now on.