EVERETT (CBS) – Police shut down the area around an Everett bank Thursday morning after a robber left behind what he said was a bomb.

It turned out to be a fake device.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Carl Stevens reports

Surveillance picture of the suspect in a bank robbery in Everett. (credit: FBI)

Police say a man went into the East Boston Savings Bank at 1755 Revere Beach Parkway around 9:40 a.m., showed a device that looked like a pipe bomb and demanded money.

A teller gave it to him, he left a wooden block in the door to prevent anyone from locking him in and took off towards Chelsea.

WBZ-TV’s Ron Sanders reports

The bomb squad was called in along with the FBI, State, and local police.  They shut down a large stretch of Route 16 and evacuated much of the surrounding neighborhood.

Remote-control robots were then sent into bank.  The device was brought out.  The police chief told WBZ Radio it a was series of pipes wrapped around a timing device, but it was inert.

Route 16 was re-opened around noon.

Police are still looking for the thief, who is said to be white, between 30 and 40 years old, about 5’11″ with a scruffy beard, wearing a brown jacket and gray scarf.

Surveillance picture of the suspect in a bank robbery in Everett. (credit: FBI)

The bank is next to a Century Bank that was robbed two months ago.

There has been a rash of bank robberies along the North Shore in recent months.

Investigators are not sure whether this incident is related to any others.