Man robbed at knife-point at Liberty ATM

Victim says he tried to reason with the thief

LIBERTY, Texas – A man was robbed at knife-point at an ATM in Liberty.

Jose Flores said at first he froze when a robber shoved a knife in his side at the First Liberty Bank ATM on Sunday afternoon. Then he tried to reason with the thief.

"I didn't hear the door open," Flores said. "I just felt something poke me in the side."

He said the man demanded $600.

"I told him I couldn't get it out. So he poked me even harder and said try $400. I said 'are you sure you want to do this' and he said 'yeah," Flores said.

Flores said the armed attacker then took off in a tan truck with his money.

ATM surveillance pictures show clear images of the robber. Liberty police said at one point it even looks like the robber is staring at the camera.

"It didn't look like he was avoiding the camera," said Officer Jennifer Bowles.

What shocked Flores even more was that the robbery happened in the middle of the day, inside a building with glass walls, so other people could see inside.

At first, Christopher Mann said he didn't realize he was witnessing a robbery. He lives across the street from the ATM and now wishes he had done more to help.

"I saw the white truck as it pulled up and the brown truck as it left," said Mann.

He said he also saw the men inside the ATM building. However, it wasn't until police pulled up that Mann understood just what he had seen.

Other residents are worried and said they are being more cautious as they make their own withdrawals, now realizing that even in a small town, a robber can be this bold.

"Normally I would think it would be at night when someone was alone," said Kenneth Herron. "But in the daytime while other people are around, when people are moving around, he certainly had a lot of nerve."

Officer Bowles said police are increasing patrols in the area. If you know anything about the man in the surveillance pictures, call police.