Bank robberies might be by same couple

Authorities are investigating two bank robberies that happened within an hour of each other Friday and may have been carried out by the same team.

The Dorchester County Sheriff's Office is looking for a man and woman suspected of robbing a bank in Ridgeville and a female suspected of robbing a bank in Harleyville.

Sheriff's deputies are assisting Ridgeville police to search for a white man and a black woman who ran from Enterprise Bank of South Carolina after it was held up shortly after 11 a.m., sheriff's 1st Sgt. Michael Miller said. The bank is at 102 Main St.

Dorchester County investigators learned from witnesses that a tall white man in his 20s entered the bank and demanded money. He appeared to have a black female accomplice who helped him get away.

Witnesses told investigators the man was about 6 feet tall, was wearing a striped light-colored button-down shirt and has a round face with short hair and metal-rimmed glasses. He left the bank on foot.

About 40 minutes later, while county officers were still gathering evidence from the Ridgeville bank, Dorchester County received a report that the South Carolina Bank and Trust at 122 W. Main St. in Harleyville had just been robbed by a black woman who came in demanding money.

"We think they're probably connected," Miller said. "The timeline would lead us to believe that they could be done by the same people."

The banks are about 15 miles apart.

The female robber was described as wearing a ball cap with letters on it, a blue shirt and sunglasses.

County investigators believe that a brown, late-model sedan with four doors seen in the area at the time of the robbery was involved.

No one was injured during either robbery. The Dorchester Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation on the Ridge-ville robbery and is assisting the Harleyville Police Department with the second one.

Reach Sophia Rodriguez at 937-5538 or srodriguez@postandcourier.com.