Group Attempts Bank Robbery in Town with Furloughed Cops

Four people have been caught allegedly trying to rob a bank in an East Texas town where the police force recently was laid off to save money.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office has handled law enforcement in Alto, located 130 miles southeast of Dallas, since the city council furloughed the five-person police department in mid-June.

Sheriff James Campbell says a call came in Wednesday afternoon about masked people trying to enter a bank in Alto. The bank in the town of 1,300 had closed for the day and the door was locked, but employees saw a person with a gun and called for help.

Authorities say three men and a woman were caught after a chase to nearby Rusk. All will face charges of aggravated robbery and evading arrest.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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