Arkansas Grandmother Bomb Plot: Suspect Knew Victims

Jan. 13, 2011— -- Investigators have learned that the Arkansas man being held on suspicion of strapping what he called a bomb to a 73-year-old grandmother and forcing take money from her account is a longtime acquaintance of the woman's husband.

Betty Davis, 73, walked into the local Arvest Bank in Fayetteville, Ark., around 10:30 a.m. Monday while her husband was tied up and held captive at their home. She told employees she had an explosive device strapped around her ankle.

Employees at the bank called 911 and police were soon able to remove the device from Davis without incident.

Paul Bradley was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the incident, according to Fayetteville Police Chief Greg Tabor. Police say Bradley, 60, is a longtime casual acquaintance of Dean Davis; the two met at a local restaurant, Rick's Iron Skillet.

According to investigators, Bradley waited for Dean Davis to leave his home for his morning coffee -- part of the man's daily routine -- before approaching the couple's home.

"The suspect who we know as Mr. Bradley feigned injury to get Mrs. Davis to open her door, and that's how this all begun," Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder said.

Bradley was arrested on charges of aggravated robbery, two counts of kidnapping and aggravated burglary, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Fayetteville police.

"I was thinking it was someone I know from the way he talked. He'd have to know some things about me that I used to raise cattle, and to know when I left the café," Dean Davis said as the couple appeared on "Good Morning America" Friday.

Bradley tied up Dean Davis after he returned to the home, according to police. He then took a weapon from the home and strapped a fake bomb to Betty Davis' leg, drove her to the Arvest bank and demanded she take $10,000 from her account.

Bradley allegedly told Davis that the device was a bomb, and even showed her a detonator. The bomb squad later determined the device was not an explosive.

"He wanted to warn me he could set it off at any time," Betty Davis said on "GMA." "I was to not to talk to anybody, write, anything -- he said he could blow it up at anytime. He said he had someone watching. He said when I got out of the bank, there will be a car behind you. And don't make any turns."

Police traveled to the couple's home where they found Dean Davis tied up, as his wife said, but unharmed. There was no sign of an intruder, but the couple's pickup truck was missing. A local TV station reported Monday evening that sheriff's deputies had found a matching truck abandoned in a nearby park.

Police say Bradley was wearing a mask when he grabbed Betty Davis and held her hostage. When Dean Davis returned, police say Bradley bound him to a barstool with tape then followed Betty Davis to the bank.

When the bomb squad arrived they found Betty Davis outside of the building.

"I thought if what he is telling me is true , I have to get out of here. I told the man I had a bomb on my ankle and I ran out of there. And the bank was immediately locked down," she said on "GMA". "I knew they would call the police. If he'd blown the bank up there would be a lot of people killed."

"I am old, I've led a long life, a good life, and I certainly didn't want anybody injured because of me -- so I just took a chance and ran out," she said.

Police say Bradley had already fled the scene.

"I can't believe someone would be that evil, to do something like that to them," Carly Geanolus, the Davis' granddaughter, told ABC News.

Police now say surveillance video shows Bradley at a local store buying items used in the kidnapping. They have also said that the Davises were instrumental in his arrest.

"If we have to have victims in this type of crime we couldn't have had better people than the Davises," Helder said.