A suspect was arrested Tuesday in relation to the JC Bank robbery Sept. 24, according to a Bloomington Police Department press release.
The suspect was identified as Charles Strevels, a Bloomington resident, and was remanded in jail custody for robbery, a level 5 felony.
Around 11:50 a.m. Sept. 24, officers arrived at JC Bank in response to a hold-up alarm, a silent alarm that can be found in emergency situations. The bank staff told officers that they had been robbed by a man who was wearing a face covering who handed tellers a note demanding money. After receiving cash from an employee, the suspect fled eastbound on foot from the bank.
The robbery caused two local schools to shelter in place.
According to the release, investigators found a path that leads from behind the bank to a nearby apartment complex. They checked area surveillance camera footage to identify a vehicle that had likely been involved with the robbery. They determined the vehicle was in the area around the time of the robbery and identified the owners of the vehicle by using Flock license plate readers, a type of camera which captures data from license plates.
Officers located and stopped the vehicle Sept. 26, but the suspect was not the person driving the vehicle.
BPD carried out a search warrant at Strevels’ residence Sept. 26, but he was not found. An arrest warrant was issued for Strevels on Sept. 27.
Officers took Strevels into custody without incident at Bloomfield Road and Patterson Drive on Tuesday morning after he called the lead detective to turn himself in. After an interview with police, Strevels was transported to Monroe County Jail.
