Posted on 01/07/2005 10:22:53 AM PST by wallcrawlr
Police SWAT teams handcuffed a man Friday after a tense, guns-drawn standoff following a bank robbery in Edina.
The arrest came about four hours after a single person robbed Real Financial Center.
The car seen in live TV footage appeared to be a maroon Chevrolet. Authorities had a description of such a car following the most recent robbery, in December, by a man dubbed as the ``Fishing Hat Bandit'' for wearing a floppy fishing hat during several robberies.
Authorities suspect the Fishing Hat Bandit in 23 holdups in the Twin Cities area in the past 18 months.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Last update at 12:35 PM
Police planned an afternoon news conference.
BANK ROBBERY SUSPECT CAPTURED: A person was captured after the Real Financial Center in Edina, Minn. was robbed Friday morning. Police don’t know for sure, but they suspect the robber might be the Fishing Hat Bandit. Investigators think the Bandit is responsible for 23 robberies in the metro area. In December, police asked the public to look for a maroon Chevy Lumina in connection with the Fishing Hat Bandit.
It is about time they catch him!
Just after 8:30, the Real Financial Center in Edina, Minn. was robbed. Police say the robber did not show a weapon or present a note, but demanded money.
When the robber left, a bank employee followed the robber. Police say the employee saw the man enter into a garage at a nearby apartment complex.
A SWAT team helped locate the suspect, who was found in a maroon Chevy Lumina in the garage.
Police say when they found the car, the windows were steamed up and it appeared the backseat was pried up. Police say it looked like a person had crawled from the front of the car and into the trunk.
The suspect was pulled from the trunk of the car, shortly before noon.
Police say a large amount of cash was also seen in the trunk of the car.
Is this the Fishing Hat Bandit?
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5178290.html
Last update: January 10, 2005 at 2:56 PM
FBI says Fishing Hat Bandit 'no longer a threat'
Joshua Freed, Associated Press
January 11, 2005
The FBI today linked the man charged with robbing an Edina credit union to multiple robberies and said the ``Fishing Hat Bandit'' - Minnesota's most prolific bank robber - is off the streets.
John Douglas Whitrock, 56, of Burnsville, was arrested on Friday after a robbery at Real Financial Center in Edina.
``Based on the investigation to date, evidence has been developed that allegedly ties Mr. Whitrock to multiple bank and credit union robberies in the metropolitan area,'' FBI spokesman Paul McCabe told The Associated Press. ``We are confident that the suspect known as the 'Fishing Hat Bandit' is no longer a threat to the banking community.''
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.