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Photo by Steve Johnson Medford Police Department's Rob Havice and his dog, Zico, search for a bank robbery suspect Wednesday behind buildings on Biddle Road. Bank, tanning salon robbed Armed men sought; police unsure if cases are related By JULIE SWENSEN A Medford bank and a tanning salon were victims of armed robberies within about three hours of each other Wednesday. Police did not yet know Wednesday night whether the heists were connected. As of 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, no suspects had been caught. In the first robbery, which happened at 2:58 p.m. at Liberty Federal Bank at 1000 Biddle Road, a man walked in with a semi-automatic handgun, said Lt. Tim George of the Medford Police Department. One customer was in the bank at the time when the man threatened employees both verbally and in a note, demanding money or he'd harm them. The suspect left on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash and headed north toward Wendy's. "We've got cops everywhere," George said as detectives, patrol cars and three K-9 units were out looking for the suspect. Despite the fact that officers were on the scene within a minute and a half of the alarm, the suspect wasn't found. The suspect was described as a white man in his late 40s to early 50s, 5-foot-6 to 5-7, medium build, with a somewhat tan complexion, long dark hair and a mustache. The hair might have been a wig and the mustache might have been phony. He was wearing a white cowboy hat with a dark band, a midthigh-length tan or leather-colored coat, and black or dark blue Levi's pants. The second robbery, reported at 6:17 p.m., occurred at Jan's Tans in the Medford Shopping Center. A man entered the store displayed a small-caliber silver handgun. The suspect left on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash, and was last seen going to the west and heading north on Biddle Road, said Sgt. Mike Weaver of the Medford Police Department. The tanning salon robber was described as a white man, 18 to 21 years of age, 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds. He was wearing a dark sweater, dark blue jeans and a black knit cap. Although four K-9 units searched for the suspect, police could not find him. No one was physically hurt in either robbery. Anyone with information about the bank robbery should call Medford police detective Ben Miller at 774-2231. Anyone with information about the tanning salon robbery should call Medford police detective Bill Ford at 774-2236. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA