Authorities are actively searching for two suspects wanted in connection with an armed bank robbery in central Illinois. The primary suspect is identified as 50-year-old Willie B. Franklin, a Black male standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing approximately 220 pounds. Franklin is considered armed and dangerous. He is being sought alongside an unidentified second male suspect. The alleged crime took place Thursday afternoon around 4 p.m. when both men reportedly held up Heartland Bank, located on South Cummings Lane in Washington. Following the robbery, Illinois State Police initiated a pursuit that concluded just west of Eureka when Franklin’s vehicle crashed. Franklin exited the vehicle and fled on foot into the surrounding wooded area. Despite extensive searches by local, state, and federal officers, neither suspect has been apprehended. No injuries were reported among bank staff or the public. The Washington Police Department, in coordination with the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office, Woodford County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, continues to comb the area for the fugitives. Residents are urged to remain vigilant, particularly near Eureka and throughout Woodford County. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Franklin or the second suspect is asked to contact the Washington Police Department at (309) 444-2313 or reach out to Greater Peoria Area CrimeStoppers at (309) 673-9000. If the suspects are spotted, the public is instructed to call 911 immediately and avoid approaching them.