Wash. Man Pulls Off Robbery Using Craigslist, Pepper Spray
Witnesses Report Seeing Man With Inner Tube; Search is On
Like Something Out of the Movies
Garrett said the plan sounds very similar to a storyline in the 1999 movie "The Thomas Crown Affair" in which an art thief, played by actor Pierce Bronson, hired decoys dressed just like him to throw off the police.
But while it's not uncommon to see copycat robberies ripped from the storylines of movies and television, Garrett said, it is unusual for a robber to try such a stunt with an armored truck.
"It's not bad thinking," he said, "if you're so pre-disposed to do this type of high-risk robbery."
In a typical armored truck robbery, the perpetrators will ambush the driver, usually with guns, when the truck pulls up. That kind of situation can escalate quickly, Garrett said, because it causes a lot of attention and the guards are usually armed themselves.
"Most of your armored car robberies fit this profile," he said.
The Monroe robber also deviated from the plan by using the pepper spray.
Garrett recalled some unique in-store bank robberies, but came up short trying to find a case comparable to this one.
"He did a high-risk, potentially violent crime, with a lower threat threshold," he said.
A message left with Brink's was not immediately returned today.
But Bank of America, in a statement, said: "The safety and security of our customers and associates are our top priority. We are cooperating with law enforcement to aid in the investigation. The banking center was reopened today to serve all of our customers."
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