CENTRALIA, Wash — The FBI and the Washington State Patrol bomb squad are investigating an ATM explosion at a bank in Centralia.
According to the Centralia Police Department (CPD), the explosion happened around 6:40 a.m. Sunday at the First Security Bank, located at 604 S Tower Ave in Centralia.
The explosion was caused by an "unknown improvised explosive device" that two unidentified suspects used to gain entry into the ATM, according to the CPD.
Police said the suspects emptied the ATM after the explosion and fled the area.
The two suspects were seen driving a late 1990s or early 2000s light-colored four-door Honda Accord. Police said one of the suspects is described as a white man.
Police said evidence was spread across a roughly 10,000-square-foot area. Volunteers from the Centralia Amateur Radio Emergency Service helped police gather evidence at the crime scene, according to the CPD.
Centralia police Commander Andy Caldwell said detectives found cash at the scene that had been burned, so investigators believe some of the money the burglars got may have been partially damaged as well.
"This is definitely a threat to the public and we would like to see these individuals identified as soon as possible," Caldwell said.
No other information is available at this time.
Anyone with information about the explosion is asked to call the CPD at (360) 330-7680 or Lewis County Communications at 360-740-1105.
