An escaped convict who once said that he was on a mission from God to kill abortion providers was allegedly caught on videotape robbing a Pennsylvania bank, three months after escaping from a central Illinois jail.

U.S. Marshals said Friday that a surveillance tape shows Clayton Lee Waagner (pictured, left) of Kennerdell, Venango County, allegedly robbing a bank in Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County, just outside of Harrisburg.

Waagner allegedly used a handgun in Thursday's robbery, "so we certainly consider him a threat to the public," said U.S. Marshal Robert Moore, of the agency's Springfield, Ill. office.

Waagner has been the subject of a massive manhunt since February, when he escaped from the DeWitt County Jail through a hole in the roof. He was awaiting sentencing on federal weapons and vehicle theft convictions.

"This is the hottest trail we've had on Waagner since the investigation began," Moore said. "We had a general idea he was in the Virginia or Pennsylvania area ... but he's been eluding us."

Waagner allegedly walked into the bank without a mask and armed with a handgun, and demanded money from a teller, Detective Sgt. Dick Toth of the Lower Paxton Township Police Department said Friday. He left with several thousand dollars, Toth said.

A getaway car, a mid-1970s-model light-brown Volvo station wagon with Texas license plates, was waiting in the parking lot of the shopping mall where the bank is located, Toth said. The driver appeared to be working under the car's hood until Waagner left the bank, then closed the hood and sped from the parking lot, Toth said.

The car was filled with Waagner's belongings and a blue tarp on the roof was believed to hold more of his possessions, said Toth, adding that Waagner is believed to still be driving the Volvo.

"A lot of people took notice of this car that was loaded to the gills," Toth said.

A Harrisburg police officer who saw surveillance footage of the robbery on television news broadcasts recognized the robber as Waagner, whom he had seen on an episode of "America's Most Wanted," authorities said. Lower Paxton police later confirmed that it was Waagner.

Authorities said that there have been no other reported sightings of Waagner, and they don't know if he's still in Pennsylvania.

On April 30, a truck that officials believe he stole from a Clinton, Ill., gas station was found at a motel in State College, Pa. Moore said that Waagner also had been spotted driving a Ford Explorer that police believe he stole from a car dealership in Pennsylvania.

Waagner was arrested Sept. 12, 1999, after crossing into Illinois with his wife and eight children in a stolen Winnebago with four stolen handguns under the driver's seat. During his two-day trial, Waagner used an insanity defense, saying he was getting messages from God to kill abortion providers.

The FBI has joined the investigation because of the alleged bank robbery, Moore said.

Previous Stories:

• May 10, 2001: Lead Reported In Pursuit Of Waagner