Wells Fargo in Clinton was robbed Monday.

The Island County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the bank was hit by a lone gunman. The suspect made off with an undisclosed amount of cash and, in an unusual move, stole a bank employee’s vehicle as a getaway car.

No one was hurt.

According to Detective Ed Wallace, spokesman for the sheriff’s office, the heist took place at about 11:50 a.m. at the branch on Highway 525. The suspect entered the bank wearing a black mask, gloves and a camouflaged jacket over a black hooded sweatshirt.

Brandishing a black semi-automatic handgun, the robber approached a teller and demanded cash and the keys to an employee’s vehicle.

“Basically he said, ‘I don’t want anyone to get hurt; give me the money,’ ” Wallace said.

The suspect left in a Silver 2000 Toyota 4 Runner Sport. The vehicle was recovered by police from a driveway at a private home on Cultus Bay Road a few hours later.

Wallace said Tuesday morning that the SUV had been processed by law enforcement specialists who sought to recover DNA evidence. No obvious leads were discovered, but detectives are considering a connection to the robbery of the Valero gas station in Bayview this past December.

That robber was also dressed in camouflage attire, a black mask and gloves. Wallace said camouflage patterns are distinct, and video surveillance footage will allow officers to determine if it was the same jacket.

Wallace did add, however, that the physical descriptions of the two robbers differ.

“The build doesn’t seem quite right,” he said.

The suspect in Monday’s robbery is described as a male, 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall, while last year’s gunman was believed to be 5 feet, 10 inches to 6 feet tall with a thin build.

Stephanie Cook, owner of Cozy’s Roadhouse in Clinton, said word of the robbery got out quickly and the sentiment among the community is that enough is enough.

“The word is, ‘This is getting old,’ ” she said. “Clinton has become quite the bank robbery place. And no one has ever been caught.”

Monday’s heist is the fourth in the past few years, two of which occurred in Clinton. This was the second time Wells Fargo was hit.

Cook added that rumors allege some of the robberies were preceded by a 911 ruse to occupy police.

Wallace confirmed just such a trick was used Monday. Dispatchers received a frantic call that a person had been shot in Freeland.

“We were up there investigating and few minutes later the bank robbery occurred,” Wallace said.

He confirmed the same tactic was used prior to one of the other bank robberies, which may be further evidence that it’s one robber. It’s frustrating for police, as they can’t ignore a 911 call and lack the manpower to keep deputies in reserve, Wallace said.

While the evidence appears to be mounting for a serial bank robber, Island County Sheriff Mark Brown said that still hasn’t been established. He declined to speculate whether one or any of the cases are linked.

He did say, however, that the string of robberies are a top priority, and that three of the department’s four detectives and an evidence technician are working to solve the crimes.

“We have a whole team investigating,” Brown said.

“Hopefully we can solve this,” he added.

Cook agreed, saying, “It would be nice if they caught at least one person.”

According to a Monday news release, South Whidbey schools in the area were briefly placed on lock-down following the robbery as a precautionary measure.

Anyone with information about the crime is urged to call 911 or call Detective Dave Dennis at 360-679-9567.