47-Year-Old Suspected in Multi-state String of Bank Robberies
WRTV-6 News Indianapolis/The Associated Press
VINCENNES, Ind. -- Police say they’ve arrested a man suspected in the robberies of 39 banks in Indiana, Kentucky and three other states since April 2002.
Authorities said they believe David Brankle, 47, of Vincennes, is the robber they’ve dubbed the “Interstate Bank Mart Bandit.”
State police, acting on a tip from Bloomington police, caught Brankle in Vincennes on Wednesday morning.
Brankle had been sought since Dec. 28, when he allegedly fled from Bloomington police after they tried to stop him for driving erratically, state police said.
On Wednesday morning, state police found his vehicle at a home in Vincennes. Brankle drove away, leading police on a car chase until he pulled over and fled on foot, leaving his 5-year-old child inside the vehicle, police said.
Brankle was caught, and he was initially arrested on a charge of resisting law enforcement. Police said they found suspicious items in his vehicle, and police determined the car matched the description of the one allegedly used in at least three bank robberies.
On Friday, state police determined Brankle was a suspect in 39 bank robberies in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri and Tennessee. Most of the banks were located inside grocery stores.
Based on the Indiana State Police investigation, Louisville Metro Police obtained a warrant charging Brankle with five counts of robbery.
Brankle is being held in the Knox County Jail with bail set at $500,000.
The FBI is investigating, and additional charges are pending, state police said.