CORTLANDVILLE -- UPDATE: Cortland County Sheriff's deputies have released the composite sketch of the man suspected of robbing a Kentucky Fried Chicken Friday.
They say they're looking for a black male, between the ages of 25 and 35 with a medium build.
If you have any information, you're asked to call the Sheriff's Department at 607-753-3311.
Earlier Coverage:
A man hunt for an alleged armed robber in Cortlandlandville has been called off. Police spent much of Friday searching for a man, who allegedly held up the Kentucky Fried Chicken on Route 281 just after 9 this morning. Police say he threatened employees with a weapon, though he never showed a gun. The suspect made off with cash, after forcing employees into a walk-in cooler.
Officers had set up a perimeter around a 50-acre wooded area, next to SUNY Cortland's campus. Police also called in canines, which tracked the suspect's scent in the woods, and a helicopter to search from above.
The whole event had Cortland residents on alert, "I came home, my sister gave me the information taht we were to go inside, lock the doors and all your windows and stay inside, and that the guy was on the loose," said Kristi Liever.
"I was really scared, because my house, I heard the guy went into the woods by the waterworks. And my house is right by the waterworks so I'm kind of scared to go home," says Mackenzie Liever.
Police called off the manhunt after they concluded the robber was no longer in the woods. Investigators are now following up on other leads, and are asking the public to keep on the lookout for suspicious behavior.
"If they see something or if they see someone approach their house and it's not a police officer, don't answer the door. No one has seen a firearm, but we're going with the assumption there is one," said Captain Mark Helms with the Cortland County Sheriff's Office.
The suspect is described as a black male, between 5'6" and 6 feet tall and about 160 pounds.
Earlier Coverage:
Police from several agencies are searching for a suspect in an armed robbery at the KFC restaurant in Cortlandville.
Cortland County 911 says a call came in Friday morning reporting a person armed with a handgun had robbed the fast food franchise.
The Cortland County Sheriff's Office adds that at 9:17 a.m. a call for a robbery in progress came in, with a male suspect threatening he had a gun, but none was displayed. Police say the business was not open, but the suspect put employees in a walk-in cooler while he robbed the restaurant.
There were no reports of any injuries, and the restaurant is currently closed. All employees were sent home for the day while police investigate the scene.
Deputies describe the suspect as a 5'6" to 6 foot black male, last seen in a wooded area near the city water works and the SUNY Cortland campus. CNY Central reporter Caitlin Nuclo says that deputies are searching a 50 acre area, and helicopters are out aiding in the search. They say they are focusing on this area because police dogs picked up the suspect's scent. Investigators also recovered the suspect's bike, and at least some of the money stolen from the restaurant.
Police say if they don't find him in this area, they are not going to expand the search.
Because of this, SUNY Cortland officials say they issued alerts to the campus community warning people to stay indoors or seek shelter. The warning system utilizes loudspeakers throughout campus, as well as telephone and email alerts. A spokesman for the college says campus police also evacuated staff from the area around the campus' athletic facilities.
While the school is between semesters there are students and staff on campus, but not in the numbers that would be there when fall classes begin next week.
Here is an alert posted on the SUNY Cortland website:
Access to lower campus from Broadway westward to Route 281 is restricted. Travel on upper campus from Broadway eastward is no longer under a shelter advisory.
Human Resources has indicated that directed departure permission has been approved by the Governor’s Office for employees working in Park Center only. Employees are asked to leave Park Center immediately, exiting onto Tompkins St. Employees are not required to use leave accruals.
A previous alert on the SUNY Cortland website read:
A robbery suspect, possibly armed, has been tracked to the Water Works area in the city of Cortland.
SUNY Cortland University Police have successfully evacuated the Stadium Complex and athletic fields area as a precaution. Working in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies, the University Police Department has secured that area of the campus.
NY Alert messages have been sent across campus urging individuals to remain inside buildings and avoid the affected area until further notice.
