Investigators say Washington County bank robberies are related, release suspect photos
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ill., (KBSI) — The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help as it investigates two recent bank burglaries in Hoyleton and Ashley that authorities believe may be connected.
Deputies were dispatched to the Farmers & Merchants Bank in Hoyleton on Jan. 26, 2026, after an active burglary alarm. Upon arrival, deputies found the bank’s ATM had been forcibly broken into. Investigators said the suspects used a stolen pickup truck taken from a local residence, attaching a chain to the ATM and pulling it from its mount. The suspects removed the ATM’s cash boxes and fled.
Witness reports and surveillance footage indicate the suspects were operating a white pickup truck. The vehicle was seen traveling on West St. Louis Street before turning south onto Park Street shortly after the burglary. A stolen vehicle believed to be involved was later recovered on Park Street near an empty lot by a garage.
Two days later, on Jan. 28 at about 3:50 a.m., Washington County sheriff’s deputies and the Nashville Police Department responded to a reported burglary at the Ashley Farmers & Merchants Bank. Investigators said the suspects fled the scene on foot before entering a waiting vehicle and leaving the area. Witnesses described the suspect vehicle as a black Mazda SUV.
Both incidents remain under investigation as part of a joint, multi-jurisdictional effort involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
Authorities are seeking surveillance video, dash camera footage and eyewitness information from the Hoyleton area between 11 p.m. Jan. 26 and 1 a.m. Jan. 27, particularly along West St. Louis Street, Park Street, the bank and nearby residential areas, as well as any information related to the Ashley burglary.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Brent Klingeman with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 618-327-8273 and reference CAD No. 26-000896 for the Hoyleton case, or call 618-327-8274, Ext. 4, and reference CAD No. 26-000941 for the Ashley case.
The sheriff’s office is also reminding residents to secure vehicles overnight and report suspicious activity immediately, noting community cooperation is critical to solving and preventing crimes.
