A man armed with a handgun allegedly walked into a Manor Township bank Thursday morning, demanded cash from three tellers, then sped off on a camouflage ATV across Route 422 — only to be arrested without incident later that day at a home. Police identified the suspect as 57-year-old Robert Mitchell Beers Jr., who now faces felony and misdemeanor charges in connection with the heist.
Manor Township police said they were notified at 9:31 a.m. Thursday of an armed robbery at NexTier Bank, located at 105 Burton Drive off Route 422 East, according to butlereagle.com. Police said Beers entered the bank carrying a plastic grocery bag, brandished a silver handgun and demanded money from three tellers before fleeing. WPXI reported that police described the amount taken as undisclosed, while the same Butler Eagle account states that Beers stole $3,370 — accounts that conflict on the exact sum.
ATV Escape Across Route 422
After the robbery, Beers fled the bank on a camouflage ATV, crossing Route 422 and several other highways, per the Butler Eagle report. No bank personnel were injured during the encounter, according to the same account. Local schools were temporarily placed on lockdown as a precaution while officers searched for the suspect, police said.
The response drew a wide swath of local and state law enforcement. Manor Township police were assisted by state police, Kittanning Borough Police, the Armstrong County Detective Bureau, the Armstrong County District Attorney's Office, the Armstrong County Sheriff's Office K9 Unit, and the state police Special Emergency Response Team, per the Butler Eagle's reporting.
Arrest Location in Dispute
Accounts differ on exactly where officers took Beers into custody. The Butler Eagle reported that Beers was arrested without incident at a Kittanning Township home after police surrounded the garage, while WTAE reported that the arrest took place at his home in Manor Township. Police said Beers later told them where the firearm and stolen money could be found in the garage.
Beers has been charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses tied to the robbery and is being held on $50,000 bail, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 20. Manor Township police asked anyone with additional information about the robbery to call the department's tip line at (724) 763-9677 extension 226.
