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Police: Search on for man who left threatening letters in Titusville banks

TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Titusville police are looking for a man they said left two extortion letters in the bathrooms of two banks. Police said the letters demanded cash, or people would get hurt.

WFTV's Renee Stoll showed a surveillance image of the man to customers outside the Wells Fargo bank where one of the notes was left.

"He looks like an average Joe," said bank customer Richard Lengel.

That is probably why he went unnoticed as he entered the Wells Fargo Bank and a TD Bank, both on Cheney Highway.

Investigators said the man sat in the lobby of each bank for 20 minutes before entering the bathrooms.

They said he then left without making a transaction.

"He made some demands of the bank and the bank employees, and if those demands weren't met threats of violence would be acted upon the public," said Tyler Wright of the Titusville Police Department, referring to the letters.

Investigators won't say exactly how much money the man was demanding, or how he planned to harm people if his demands aren't met.

Because of his dangerous threats, police said they have contacted several agencies to be on alert.

"Every place that we know that's been threatened, they've been notified as well," said Wright.

"Certainly (the threat) should be taken seriously. If the guy's troubled enough to do something like that, certainly he's probably capable of carrying it out," said Lengel.

Police have also enlisted the help of a behavior analyst to try to break down the extortion letter, but they said they have no leads.

Titusville police asked anyone who might recognize the man to please call them.