Thousands of dollars left behind as bank robber flees

A Chino police officer wounded by a bank robber with an assault weapon Wednesday was able to drive himself to a local hospital for treatment. The robber fled, but witnesses said he left some of his stolen money behind.

Police continued to search for the suspect. He was believed to be driving a four-door, gray Nissan Altima with Arizona license plates. Nearby Chino High School was placed on lockdown as a precaution.

A witness told the Press-Enterprise that four shots were fired and that the robber dropped a significant amount of cash before he left.

“I saw thousands of dollars on the floor,” Michael Spain told the paper.

The robbery occurred at 10:52 a.m. at a California Bank and Trust branch.

The unidentified officer was responding to a shots-fired call when he encountered the suspect wearing a bulletproof vest and toting the automatic weapon.

The details of the shooting were not immediately clear, but the officer was hit at least once. He was in stable condition after driving himself to the hospital.

The bank robber is described as 25 years old, about 6-feet-2, from 200 to 250 pounds with blue eyes. He was wearing a stocking cap, blue shirt and light blue jeans.

ALSO:

Lindsay Lohan spoofs legal troubles in 'SNL' promos

Leap Year: Disneyland's 24-hour Feb. 29 event draws thousands

Death of actor Mark Ruffalo's brother: Key figure in probe has died

-- Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Scene of Chino police officer shooting. Credit: KTLA-TV