A despondent man who recently lost his job robbed a Fife bank branch Tuesday after saying he had a bomb, law enforcement officials said.

The 41-year-old Puyallup-area man halted the heist after getting the money and, more than an hour later, peacefully surrendered to Fife police.

The bag he’d claimed contained an explosive device instead had towels, other personal items and the stolen cash, law enforcement officials said.

Police booked the man into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of robbery charges, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.

Investigators said the man lost his job last week, gambled and had a history of suicidal thoughts. They do not believe he is the same man who robbed a Tacoma bank branch Friday.

Troyer gave this account of Tuesday’s robbery:

The robber walked into the Fife Bank of America branch, 5003 Pacific Highway E., shortly before 10:15 a.m. He carried a bag to the counter and handed a teller a note that indicated he had a bomb.

After getting an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber started acting strangely.

“It sounds like he had a change of heart,” Troyer said. “He sat down.”

Bank employees called 911 and the robber got on the phone with a dispatcher, who asked him if he would let everybody go. He said yes and allowed the bank’s employees and customers to leave.

Tom Tinker, a tenant in the business park where the bank is located, said he went to the branch about 10:15 a.m. to do some business. He found the door locked. A woman inside the bank came to the door.

“We’ve got an emergency here,” she told Tinker. “You can’t come in and the police have been called.”

Tinker left and police evacuated other businesses and restaurants nearby. The state Department of Transportation shut down the off-ramps from Interstate 5 to 54th Avenue in Fife.

Officers from Tacoma police, Puyallup Tribal police, Puyallup police and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department arrived to help.

Sandie McNaughton said she was working at the Edward Jones branch across from the bank when police burst in and evacuated the building. Everyone was rushed to the far side of the business park where they stood around talking for about four hours before they were able to return to their offices.

“Everyone always almost backs into each other in the parking lot, so I always thought the real excitement would be a wreck,” she said. “I never thought there would be a bomb.”

About 11:40 a.m., police talked the man into coming outside, where he was taken into custody.

“We’re lucky this thing ended the way it did,” Troyer said. “It could have sure turned out differently.”

The sheriff’s and Tacoma police bomb squads evaluated and eventually removed the robber’s bag. A robot took the bag to a safe location outside the bank and destroyed it.

Police also recovered the bank’s money.

Stacey Mulick: 253-597-8268

stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com

blogs.thenewstribune.com/crime

Staff writer Brian Everstine contributed to this report.