A least five armed men robbed the Chase Bank in Paso Robles Tuesday evening, during which one of the suspects struck an employee in the face with a rifle.

Shortly after 6 p.m., as the Chase branch at 194 Niblick Road was closing, the robbers entered the bank armed with handguns and a rifle, employees told police. Dressed in black clothing and wearing masks, the men demanded money.

Before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of cash, one of the robbers struck a bank employee on the eye with a rifle. The employee suffered a moderate eye injury.

Paso Robles police officers, SLO County probation officers and a CHP helicopter all arrived within 10 minutes of the robbery. But, the suspects had already escaped in heavy rush hour traffic, police said.

Paso Robles investigators are working with the FBI to interview witnesses and process the crime scene for evidence. Anyone who has information about the robbery or similar crimes is asked to contact the Paso Robles Police Department at (805) 237-6464 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at (805) 549-STOP.