EPHRATA, LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. – Ephrata Police take one bank robbery suspect into custody and has identified his partner in the armed robbery of a Santander Bank branch. The robbery happen at about 10:35 a.m. this morning at the Santander Bank, 370 North Reading Road, Ephrata Township. Two men had walked into the bank, brandished a handgun and demanded cash. The weapon turned to be an Airsoft pistol.
While responding to the scene, officers received input from alert members of the public as to the possible whereabouts of two suspects, who had fled on foot. Officers encountered both suspects several hundred yards south of the bank on a property along Route 272. One of the men, Matthew J. Burkhart, 27, of Ephrata, was taken into custody at gun point.
The other man continued his running into a wooded area and remains at large. The second subject has been identified, and charges are expected in the near future.The suspect is described as a white male in his 20’s.
Burkhart will remain in custody and will be charged with Robbery. Additional charges may follow as the investigation continues.
