By MELISSA PEACOCK

LAPLACE – Hibernia National Bank Network Technician Larry Dillon arrived Tuesday morning at the New Orleans-based bank’s branch on Main Street in LaPlace just in time to help employees close up the location. Outside the bank, it looked like business as usual but the interior revealed far more.

“They have not told me anything (about the amount of damage),” Dillon said. “I just got here a few minutes ago. It seems to be an unsuccessful robbery. Nothing was taken.”

The burglars tried to get into the night deposit box and the main bank safe, but were unable to penetrate either, Captain Michael Tregre, St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office, said. What they did do during the burglary was tear into the bank branch’s security systems.

“The phone lines were cut, the alarm lines in the main control room were cut, the alarm panel was pulled down,” Tregre said. “They pulled the lines to the security cameras.”

The culprits seemed to know what they where doing when they entered the building, Tregre said.

The burglary is still under investigation. Police are not ruling out the possibility that a Hibernia employee was involved.

The crime was discovered at 3:56 a.m. Tuesday by a bank employee. The employee was called to the branch to investigate a telephone service failure. Entering the building, the employee discovered the alarm was not working and the alarm pad was pulled from the wall.

There were no suspects at the scene when sheriff’s deputies arrived at the branch, located at 604 Main St.

“The perpetrators went through a side door located in the drive-through area,” Tregre said. “They damaged the hinges on the door to gain entrance.”

There are no suspects at this time. The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about the burglary to call 985-652-2773.