Police follow fluorescent trail to robbery suspectBy Jill Coley (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Friday, July 11, 2008
Brad Nettles Charleston Police Officer Giuseppe Malfi prepares to place a suspect in the robbery of the First Federal Bank on Savannah Highway into the backseat of his police car Thursday. 
Brad Nettles Charleston Police Crime Scene Investigator Steve Hood and other officers process a car used in the attempted robbery of First Federal Bank on Thursday. A bank robbery suspect was caught more than red-handed. A cloud of red paint from a dye pack enveloped him as he fled his car. The peculiar sight left a trail of witnesses with fingers pointing the way for police, who were on the scene quickly, said Charles Francis, Charleston police public information officer. Police received a call about a robbery at First Federal Bank, 2061 Savannah Highway, near Interstate 526, at 11:48 a.m. Thursday, Francis said. The suspect, a man in his 50s whose name has not yet been released, fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of money and got into a white Ford sedan, Francis said. A dye pack with the money exploded and apparently startled the suspect, police said. Jay Hanckel was leaving the nearby West Marine when he saw what appeared to be red smoke swirling around inside the white sedan and seeping out the windows. "I realized he robbed the bank and pulled over to watch," Hanckel said. The suspect hopped out of the car in a cloud of fluorescent paint, a bandanna wrapped around his nose and mouth, and ran behind the shopping center, Hanckel said. Police were on the scene almost immediately, said Hanckel, who pointed out to them the direction the suspect ran. The suspect climbed over a fence and into a neighborhood, where construction workers pointed out his path to police, Francis said. The trail went cold briefly, until the suspect's feet were seen poking out of a drainage pipe at Rondo Street and Arlington Drive. Police pulled him out and found the money and a pellet gun, Francis said. Authorities are investigating whether the white sedan, which had no tags, is stolen. Reach Jill Coley at 937-5719 or jcoley@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 32 comment(s)
Posted by Smart_Enough_2_Know_Better on July 11, 2008 at 1:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I know bank robbery is wrong and all, but really, when done by people this stupid it is SO entertaining. I hope the poor little fella doesn't have nightmares in jail now after the scare he got from that mean old exploding dye pack. How could he have known that a bank would have access to such state-of-the-art technology? I mean those things have only been around since what, the '60s?
Posted by CedarPosts on July 11, 2008 at 2:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Authorities are investigating whether the white sedan, which had no tags, is stolen"..... Stolen? Ya think?
Got to blame the school system, for idiots like this guy if they would teach basic math we would stop bank robbery all together.
Simple math: $1000.00 divided by 20 years equals STUPID!
More idiots among us at: http://cedarposts.blogspot.com
Posted by Tammie on July 11, 2008 at 7:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Smart enough, you would have thought HE was "smart enough to know better"! Now most people know that bank employees are taught that if you are the victim of a robbery, the teller IS going to give you the dye pack, it looks like a regular pack of cash. But I digress.
I bet his lil tookus will tighten when he gets some red jello in the joint. Mama nooooooooooooo!!
Posted by Siri on July 11, 2008 at 7:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess even 50ish people can rob with a pellet gun.
Posted by ColdBeer on July 11, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think I heard on the news last night that the car was stolen and that it had, at one time, been a police car.
Posted by Charles_Town on July 11, 2008 at 8:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree robbing is definitely wrong, but could not help but chuckle when I read this.
Posted by ColdBeer on July 11, 2008 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Riiiinnngg... Riiiinnnggg
"Hello"
"Hey baby... um... I screwed up"
"What did you do THIS time??"
"Well, you know that money I lost on the dice? I was gonna make things right. I had a plan and I was gonna get your baby food money back. I put on my black pants, my black shirt and even a bandana! You shoulda seen me! I was looking like those guys you see in the movies!"
"Anyway, I got a pellet gun. I didn’t want to hurt no body, so I just used a pellet gun. I went in to that bank and told them it was a stick up! Give me the money! They sure 'nough gave it to me. I never seen so much money! I was like "Jessie James here I come!"... I ran out to the car.. oh yea.. I'll tell you 'bout the car later... and just as I was gettin' ready to leave... POW! That sheet blew up on me! I though I was bleedin' cause it was red all over, but I think they just put a red bomb in the money. What would make them do that?? Ain't no body want money with a red bomb in it. People at Wal-Mart would be looking at me funny if I was to take red dollar bills in there. I just hopped out of the car and ran. I hurt my knee when I hit it on another car... couldn’t see crap for all that red smoke. I kept the money. I was thinking maybe I could wash it or something. Anyway, I was hiding. You know that pipe where I sleep when you won’t let me in? Yea... that’s where I was hiding. They got me though. Took my ass right to jail. So, what I need.. what I need is for you to do is go down to one of the jail bond places, like you did last time.. and see if you can get me outta here….”
“Bring some soap too…”
“Honey?”
“Honey?”
“You still there?....”
Posted by Marianne0558 on July 11, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
hahahahahahahahahahaha
You really do that too well, CB.
Posted by Tammie on July 11, 2008 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Lmao @ CB!!!
Posted by MissPriss on July 11, 2008 at 9:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
CB please write a book!
:)
Posted by Larz13 on July 11, 2008 at 9:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
CB...can I make a few editorial changes?:
I was looking like those guys you see in the movies!
change to..
I was looking like those guys you seen in the movies!"
and
That sheet blew up on me!
to
That sheet blowed up on me!
Posted by jamie29456 on July 11, 2008 at 10:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
lmao...ColdBeer thanks for the laugh!
Posted by Lovely_One on July 11, 2008 at 10:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
LMAO@ Coldbeer,
Please tell me if you are my husband. He tells stories off the cuff like that all the time and they are always hilarious like yours. I have told you before that the two of you think alike but this is getting scary.
Posted by CedarPosts on July 11, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
CB must have been one of the writers for "Cool Hand Luke"...... I'm a shaking the tree here boss, shaking the tree boss I'm a shaking..
Posted by summerville_guy on July 11, 2008 at 10:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
SOmebody commented on this story yesterday that they couldn't wait to hear ColdBeer's take on this idiot. I must say, it was worth the wait!
Posted by lucy_fan on July 11, 2008 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
CB. you are a trip and a half. That was too funny! Did y'all get a look on dude's face?? Doesn't look like he knows what state he is in.
Posted by Early on July 11, 2008 at 10:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Gee, I can't see them so they can't see me!
Question, who puts theses dye packs in the bag, the clerk?
Are they always there or they have to add them in an emergency?
Posted by ColdBeer on July 11, 2008 at 11:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No Lovely_One I'm not your husband <lol>. My wife just shakes her head when I start typing on this site. She doesn't understand the draw to post.
One day she did sit down a read a thread that I had mentioned and she admitted that the comments were interesting reading.
Great movie reference CedarPosts. One of my all time favs.
Posted by summerville_guy on July 11, 2008 at 11:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Early,
The clerk definitely does not put the dye packs into the money. I know this because I have a friend who works at a bank in Columbia. Another teller there actually gave a stack of money with a dye pack in it to a regular customer, and it exploded when the customer got to her car. Talk about a bad day!
Hopefully someone who has worked in a bank can shed more light on your question, but I would assume that the teller is responsible for knowing which stack has the dye pack in it so that she can be sure to place that stack with the money she gives a robber.
Posted by Tammie on July 11, 2008 at 11:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Early, the tellers keep them in their drawer at all times. When I used to work for a bank that shall remain nameless but didn't pay worth a cuss treats their customers badly, in the event of a robbery, our money would be attached to a cord and when the money is detached from the cord, it set off an alarm. As soon as you hit the parking lot, you were covered in red dye. Thankfully, I've never experienced that but you'd think some people would know it.
Lucy, looks like dude is coming off of a crack high.
Posted by Tammie on July 11, 2008 at 11:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh yeah, Early, the dye pack was the first pack we were taught to give the robber! Lol
Posted by justus1017 on July 11, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
FOR ONCE COLDBEER HAS DONE A GOOD DEED!!! THANKS I NEEDED THAT LAUGH. THE OFFICE SUCKS TODAY.
Posted by Lovely_One on July 11, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
CB,
I had my husband read some posts and he was impressed. Now he doesn't say much when I get on because he realizes that I am having so much fun.
Posted by Early on July 11, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, I commend the teller for keeping her wits during a stressful situation.
Posted by Tammie on July 11, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm with you on that one Early, I'm glad s/he had sense enough to put the dye pack in the bag.
Posted by Girleygirl on July 11, 2008 at 12:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Coldbeer - you are tooooo much! LOL
Posted by jeff61 on July 11, 2008 at 12:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by Early on July 11, 2008 at 10:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Gee, I can't see them so they can't see me!
Question, who puts theses dye packs in the bag, the clerk?
Are they always there or they have to add them in an emergency?
Don't tell me your thinking of giving this a try Early?
Posted by Tammie on July 11, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jeff-check my 1105-07 posts.
Posted by drp7773 on July 11, 2008 at 4:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
MMMM where are the ACLU, red color I mean is this the right thing to do. Why not white dye for white folk and black dye for black folk etc. etc. even bankrobbers are people ya know why should they be allowed to embarrass these fine folks.
Posted by Tammie on July 11, 2008 at 4:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
DRP...what?
Posted by Lovely_One on July 11, 2008 at 4:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Huh?
Posted by gr8ful on July 12, 2008 at 5:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Having grown up around the area, I happen to think it's hilarious that this guy JUMPED the fence when there are holes through the length of the fence he could have just run through. Especially close to where he approached the fence.
Silly crackhead.