The alleged bank robber that stole from Citizens Bank last week was apprehended in Texas around 10 a.m. Tuesday.
While Columbia Police Chief Michael Kelly was able to confirm the right person is in custody, he was unable to release the suspect’s name because the case has been turned back over to the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Security camera footage in Marion County allowed law enforcement to get a partial on his Walthall County license plate, and a scanner caught his license plate in Texas, prompting him to get pulled over Tuesday morning, according to Lt. Justin Porter.
“We’re severely grateful for our law enforcement and commend them for their efforts and professionalism regarding this matter,” Citizens Bank CEO Trey Carley said.
Kelly said officers went from store to store immediately following the robbery looking for cameras that would show the suspect leaving the scene. They were able to track him from the bank to Lumberton Road to High School Avenue to Broad Street to Main Street to Mississippi 13 North to Mississippi 35 Bypass and ultimately Mississippi 48 heading towards Walthall County before the trail went cold.
“That means he took little county roads somewhere, but we knew we were close,” he said.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigations along with the FBI assisted the CPD with tracking the suspect’s cell phone. He was on the phone when he walked into Citizens Bank.
Kelly said the alleged robber entered through the front door shortly after it opened, presented a weapon to the bank teller and requested the money.
“By looking at the video and his mannerisms, he had probably been in the bank before just to do a dry run to see where the cameras were. He avoided the cameras. He knew what he was doing. It wasn’t his first time,” he explained.
From detectives to patrolmen to a school resource officer and even animal control, Kelly said it’s been incredible to see the department come together and piece all of the evidence together.
“The entire department came together because we were highly offended that someone would come in to our city and traumatize the bank teller, who had a weapon pulled on (them),” he said. “It was just a matter of time before we could get him. Every resource of the department was used.”
Bank robberies are extremely uncommon, particularly in small communities like Marion County, according to Kelly.
