Man tries to rob closed bank

A shotgun-wielding man wearing an orange ski mask was arrested yesterday after police said he tried to rob a bank that had already closed for the afternoon.

Christopher Allen Koch, 28, of Mountain Top Road, Liberty, arrived at Citizens & Northern Bank, along Main Street in Liberty around 11:40 a.m. and sat inside his car in the bank's parking lot for approximately 20 minutes, police said.

Apparently, Koch did not read the hours posted on the bank's door. The bank closed at noon, according to the Citizens & Northern Bank Web site.



Police said he attempted to enter the bank at 12:01 p.m. - a minute too late.

Koch then fled the scene, but bank employees took note of his license plate number. The vehicle was located at Koch's Mountain Top Road residence, along with the gun used in the attempt, the ski mask and gloves, police said.

Koch was charged with criminal attempted robbery and possessing instruments of a crime. He has not been arraigned yet, police said.