Two men were arrested after allegedly robbing a Kitsap Credit Union branch in East Bremerton on Tuesday evening.
According to a probable cause statement filed in Kitsap County Superior Court, a 57-year-old Bremerton man walked into the bank at 6651 Highway 303, near the Walmart, at 5 p.m. May 12 and provided a teller a note that read, “Give me the money or die.” He was given $1,500 by a teller, and fled in the direction of a cannabis shop just north of the bank.
Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived and were shown video surveillance footage of the incident and photos of the suspect. Employees told KCSO that when the suspect passed the note, the teller tripped the silent robbery alarm, which dispenses $1,500, and attempted to lock the suspect inside but the doors failed.
Court documents said a witness told investigators they saw the suspect get into a black Cadillac Escalade with no license plate by the Taco Time just north of the bank, and drive away headed south on Highway 303. The driver was later identified as a 65-year-old man of Sedro-Woolley.
KCSO and the Bremerton Police Department located the Cadillac and collaborated to stop the suspect vehicle near the 3500 block of Belfair Valley Road just after 5:30 p.m. The two were taken into custody and transported to the Kitsap County Jail.
The suspect who entered the bank reportedly told law enforcement he was “mentally unwell” and did not remember the incident or going to the bank. According to the incident report, he was wearing the some clothes from the bank robbery and $1,500 in cash were found on him.
Additionally, the driver told deputies he was in the vehicle with the other suspect who said he needed to pick up money. He parked and when the suspect returned, he appeared frantic and was banging on the window. After they left, the driver said the suspect kept urging him to drive faster and asked if he had other clothes.
The 57-year-old suspect remains in custody and is being held on $100,000 bail. He faces two felony counts of first-degree robbery. The driver is facing the same charges and appeared in Kitsap County Superior Court on Wednesday, when he posted bail.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Kitsap Credit Union robbery leads to two arrests in Belfair
