Police in Des Moines say a witness and a dog played critical roles in the apprehension of a bank robber this morning. The male suspect entered the Community State Bank office at 9 a.m. wearing a ski mask. Police Sergeant Lori Lavorato says he pointed gun at a teller and left with cash. A woman called police a short time later saying a man was in her back yard fidgeting with money.
“She yelled out to that person and the suspect ran into a warehouse nearby. She let officers know that and that absolutely played a key role in capturing this bank robber,” Lavorato said. Police entered the dark warehouse with a K9 unit leading the way. Lavorato says the suspect was spotted and appeared to be holding a weapon, which turned out to be a stick.
“The dog jumped toward the suspect, bit the suspect, taking the suspect to the ground…at that point it was revealed that it was a stick and officers were able to take this man into custody,” Lavorato said. Police have not released the man’s name, but confirmed the robber is not Ray Edward Lee, the man suspected of two other bank robberies in Des Moines this week.
Officers say the man stole a car prior to the robbery. The vehicle was recovered along with the weapon, a BB gun, used in the bank heist.