First a bomb threat then a real robbery P'burg High School cleared after call Thursday, October 25, 2007 • By JD MALONE • The Express-Times LOPATCONG TWP. | A scarf-wearing bandit may have decoyed police with a bomb threat to Phillipsburg High School before holding up the Baker Federal Credit Union on Wednesday afternoon. "That's something we're looking at right now," Lopatcong Township police Lt. Jason Garcia said. The bomb threat was phoned in 1:21 p.m. from the Wendy's on Route 22, minutes before a man walked into the credit union at Baltimore and Fifth streets and left with an undisclosed amount of cash. Police said no one was injured or saw the robber brandish a weapon but several people think he may have had one concealed. Police said the man's face was covered with a scarf. He is described as a white man, about 6 feet tall, weighing more than 200 pounds and was also wearing a dark blue jacket, a green hooded shirt, tan gloves and blue jeans. Reports broadcast on a police scanner about 2 p.m. said the robber spoke with a British accent and was about 6 feet tall. The description is similar to one provided by the Colonial Regional Police Department in connection to a string of recent robberies in Northampton County. Police said the robber fled before they arrived and was not apprehended, but the robber was seen by several bystanders. No bomb found, classes resume The bomb threat came into Phillipsburg Police Department headquarters 1:21 p.m. Wednesday. The caller claimed there was a bomb at the high school, police said. Most students had already left the high school since it was a half-day, police said. The building was evacuated and evening activities at the school canceled, officials said. Phillipsburg School Superintendent Gordon Pethick, attending an education convention in Atlantic City, said no bomb was found and classes will resume today. Police cars swarm residential area Dave Schnorrbusch, a member of the credit union's board of directors, owns the business next door to the credit union and has an account there. He had returned from a doctor's appointment when police arrived just before 2 p.m. "It's real scary," Schnorrbusch said. "I just can't believe someone would go in there and do something like that." Schnorrbusch said about four men working at his auto body business, H& K and Sons, went to lunch at 1:30 p.m. The group came back 20 to 30 minutes later to the clamor of police cars swarming the bank. He said no one saw what happened but everyone was interested. "I think just about every employee here has an account there," Schnorrbusch said. A residential neighborhood surrounds the bank and Route 22. Surrounding streets were closed to traffic as police investigated the robbery. The Lopatcong Police Department asks anyone with information to call 908-859-1212. Reporter JD Malone can be reached at 610-759-4599 or by e-mail at jdmalone@express-times.com.