Flomaton bank robbed|Crime similar to Florala incident
Published 10:00 pm Tuesday, March 9, 2010
By By Lisa Tindell
news editor
With just two hand-written notes, few words and no visible weapons, a couple robbed the United Bank in Flomaton just before closing time Monday — and police believe the incident could be related to a similar robbery in Florala last week.
Flomaton Police Chief Terri Tolbert said the call was made to police at about 4:45 p.m. from the bank on U.S. 29.
Tolbert described the suspects as a man and woman who fled the scene in an older model, two-toned, full-size Chevrolet pickup truck.
A description of the female suspected included a large tattoo on her neck.
Tolbert said the couple presented notes demanding money to the two tellers.
Although robbing a bank is a federal offense carrying stiff penalties, the Flomaton event did not appear to be an armed crime. “There was no weapon produced during the robbery,” Tolbert said. “There were, thankfully, no customers in the bank, and no employees were hurt in the robbery.”
The suspects matched the description of a couple that robbed Florala’s Wachovia Bank last week.
Last Thursday, Florala Police Chief Sonny Bedsole said, a couple described similarly left the Florala bank on foot after passing a teller a note demanding cash. They are believed to have stolen approximately $1,700.
Investigators believe the couple hid in a port-a-potty near Florala’s Lake Jackson until a third party picked them up.
A teller at the Florala bank looked at surveillance photos from the Flomaton robbery and recognized the suspects, Bedsole said Tuesday.
Bedsole said investigators had initially identified four persons of interest in the Florala heist, but each of those individuals was cleared on Monday.
United Bank President and CEO Bob Jones said Tuesday the bank is grateful to law enforcement for their help.
Anyone with information about either robbery is asked to call Flomaton Police Department at 296-5811, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department at 867-0304 or Bedsole at 334-858-3244.