Man robs West Valley bank after passing a note saying he had a bomb, police say

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Police say bank employees “were traumatized” after a man allegedly passed a note to a bank teller in West Valley City reading: “This is a robbery I have a bomb on me that will explode I need 20,000 in a bag.”

Christopher Thomas Kirby, 37, was arrested on a first-degree felony aggravated robbery charge on Wednesday, March 19, after police responded to a 911 call for an alleged robbery in progress, according to court documents.

Authorities said Kirby entered a bank near 3000 S Redwood Road in West Valley City and passed a note to a teller demanding $20,000, saying he had a bomb. The threat was written on a pink sticky note that Kirby later told police he had stolen from the Dollar General nearby, according to documents.

When police arrived, Kirby was in the lobby and authorities took him into custody without incident. Footage from security cameras showed Kirby passing the note and then waiting near the desk when officers arrived at the scene. Officers said the employees were “traumatized from Christopher’s actions.”

Kirby allegedly told police in an interview that he had attempted to rob the bank “because he needed the money for food and clothes” and that he picked the bank at random.

“Christopher has likely only been in Utah for ten days and has had four involvements with the police, including mental health calls, trespassing, and retail theft. Christopher’s behavior has now escalated to aggravated robbery, which was captured on video,” court documents read. “Christopher’s documented interactions with the police over the last ten days shows that he is an increasing danger to anyone in the community.”

Kirby was booked in the Salt Lake County Jail on Wednesday night.