Police are searching for a person who used bear repellent to subdue two McDonald’s employees who were making a late-night cash deposit at a Port Townsend bank earlier this month.

The thief made off with a cash bag from the restaurant that contained approximately $1,500.

The robbery occurred at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 9 as the coworkers were delivering two bags of money to the Kitsap Bank branch on East Sims Way.

The employees pulled up to the bank parking lot and the unknown assailant, who appeared to be waiting near the ATM, pulled out what the pair described as bear spray.

After one of the employees got out of the vehicle to make the end-of-the-day deposit, the robber turned around and sprayed the restaurant worker in the face, then took the man to the ground by his arm.

The other employee hopped out of the car to intervene, and the assailant then sprayed the second worker, as well.

The assailant attempted to steal both bank deposits, but only made off with one of them, fleeing on foot to the other side of the bank and driving away in a dark-colored SUV.

The robber was described as being in his 20s or 30s, wearing black clothes and a black baseball cap.

At the same bank, a caller previously reported to Port Townsend police that someone had placed masking tape on the ATM’s camera the day before the robbery, though that could be unrelated to the assault and theft, Port Townsend Police Chief Thomas Olson said.

The Port Townsend Police Department is continuing the investigation.