Manhunt delays opening of Montco community college

Montgomery County Community College's central campus in Blue Bell opened later than usual Monday after police sealed it off to search for two armed robbers.

The search ended around 10:30 a.m., and the campus opened at noon.

The chain of events began around 1:30 a.m. when two masked gunmen robbed workers and patrons at the Whitpain Tavern on the 1500 block of Dekalb Pike in Whitpain Township, said Sgt. Cathy Penecale. The pair fled in a stolen red Mustang while police, notified when a panic alarm was activated, were en route.

No injuries were reported in the robbery, police said.

Responding officers spotted the car and chased it into the parking lot of the Blue Bell campus, authorities said. The men ran the car into a wooded area at the campus and fled on foot.

Police established a perimeter around the campus and launched a search. A large wooded area on the north side of the campus was also searched.

A small safe was taken during the robbery, said Penecale.

- Mari Schaefer