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A 28-year-old Ohio man suspected in several armed robberies, including the robbery of U.S. Bank in West Chester, has been arrested in western Montana, according to a report from the Associated Press.

Below is a portion of the report:

The U.S. Marshals Service learned David Owen Cooper was in the Kalispell area and planned to arrest him during a traffic stop Wednesday evening.

Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry says Cooper refused to pull over and led officers on a pursuit east of Kalispell. Patrol cars struck Cooper’s vehicle. He fled on foot, but was soon apprehended.

Cooper was believed to have been working construction in the Kalispell area.

Police in West Chester, Ohio say Cooper is a suspect in the robbery of a US Bank branch in May. He also is wanted for robberies at a hotel, gas station and ice cream store in the Dayton area.

The U.S. Bank, located at 9135 Cox Road in West Chester, was robbed May 5. The robber flashed a pistol and demanded cash, according West Chester Police Sgt. Matt Tombragel.

According to police, at the time of the incident, the suspect left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash and headed northbound on foot and hid behind a nearby office building. After an exhaustive search of the area, which included the use of police K-9, the suspect was not located.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: bank robbery, crime, David Cooper, David Owen Cooper, photos, robbery, Sgt. Matt Tombragel, surveillance photos, U.S. Bank, West Chester crime, West Chester Police, West Chester Police Department, West Chester robbery

Hamilton police detective Sgt. Mike Waldeck was at the Kroger at Ohio 4 and Grand Avenue when he spotted a suspected Liberty Township bank robber on Thursday, June 9, according to a report on Cincinnati.com.

“The bad guy was walking out as the sergeant was walking in,” Butler County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Mike Craft told Cincinnati.com.

Here is a portion of the report from Cincinnati.com reporter Janice Morse:

Waldeck thought the man looked like a suspect wanted for robbing the same U.S. Bank branch three times in a 10-month period.

“The surveillance photos were crystal-clear and he hadn’t worn a mask or anything,” Craft said.

Dressed in plain clothes, Waldeck simply asked the man to stop and talk to him. The man complied.

Then Waldeck called the sheriff’s office.

“He said, ‘I think you guys might want to come down here. I think I’ve got your bank robber’ – and darned if he didn’t,” Craft said.

Sheriff’s deputies came to the store and arrested Norman Ray Clay, 48, of Fairfield Township. Clay is being held in the Butler County Jail on three counts of robbery, alleging he committed heists on July 8, 2010; Dec. 31, 2010; and May 31.

The U.S. Bank that Clay is suspected of robbing (photo of robbery top right, mug shot bottom right) is located near the corner of Route 4 and Liberty-Fairfield Road in Liberty Township. During each robbery, which all of them took place between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., no weapon was displayed.

According to Cincinnati.com, Clay told officers that he was “hurting for money.”

For more on the story, visit Cincinnati.com’s post titled “‘I think I’ve got your bank robber.’”

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: bank robbery, Butler County Sheriff's Office, Liberty Township crime, Lt. Mike Craft, Norman Clay, Norman Ray Clay, robbery, Sgt. Mike Waldeck, U.S. Bank

The U.S. Bank near the corner of Route 4 and Liberty-Fairfield Road in Liberty Township was robbed this afternoon around 2:30 p.m., according to Cincinnati.com. The suspect is described as an older white male with white/gray shoulder-length hair, about 6-foot tall and 180 pounds. At the time of the robbery he wore a light blue T-shirt that said “Las Vegas” in black lettering, a black baseball cap and dark colored pants.

According to the report, the suspect handed a bank teller a note demanding money and got away before law enforcement officials arrived. Also, according to the article, the suspect did not display a weapon and left the bank on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to the sheriff’s office.

According to a report from the Pulse Journal, Butler County Sheriff’s detectives believe the same suspect may have robbed the same bank on New Year’s Eve.

Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to call the sheriff’s office, 513-785-1300.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: bank robbery, Butler County Sheriff's Office, Liberty Township crime, robbery, U.S. Bank

The West Chester Police Department released three surveillance photos (click to enlarge) of last Thursday’s robbery of the U.S. Bank, located at 9135 Cox Road, in West Chester.

At around 9:30 a.m., Thursday, May 5, a man entered the U.S. Bank, located at 9135 Cox Road in West Chester, flashed a pistol and demanded cash, West Chester Police Sgt. Matt Tombragel said.

According to police, the suspect left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash and headed northbound on foot and hid behind a nearby office building. After an exhaustive search of the area, which included the use of police K-9, the suspect was not located.

During the robbery, the suspect was wearing gray sweatpants, a blue shirt with a light colored hoodie underneath, dark sunglasses, a knit hat, light colored gym shoes and a light colored bandana covering the lower portion of his face. The suspect is said to be of Caucasian or Latino descent, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-11 and of medium build.

No one was hurt during the robbery and the suspect was “in and out pretty quick,” according to police.

If anyone recognizes the suspect or has more information about the robbery can contact the West Chester Police Department at 513-777-2231.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: bank robbery, photos, robbery, Sgt. Matt Tombragel, surveillance photos, U.S. Bank, West Chester Police, West Chester Police Department, West Chester robbery

At around 9:30 a.m., Thursday, May 5, a man entered the U.S. Bank, located at 9135 Cox Road in West Chester, flashed a pistol and demanded cash, West Chester Police Sgt. Matt Tombragel said. The suspect, described as a Latino male of average build and height, fled on foot after getting an unknown amount of cash.

According to police, the suspect left the bank and headed northbound on foot and hid behind a nearby office building. After arriving at the scene, police had a K-9 unit perform a track, which was “unsuccessful.”

During the robbery, the suspect was wearing gray sweatpants, a blue shirt, a dark colored cap or beanie (no bill) and a cloth over his face.

No one was hurt during the robbery and the suspect was “in and out pretty quick,” according to police.

Investigators are currently working with bank employees and looking over footage obtained from surveillance video. It is not known if a photo from that surveillance footage will be released.

If anyone has more information regarding this investigation they can contact the West Chester Police Department’s crime tip line at 513-759-7272.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: bank robbery, robbery, Sgt. Matt Tombragel, U.S. Bank, West Chester Police, West Chester Police Department, West Chester robbery

Two men, who robbed the Batteries Plus in Liberty Township, were arrested today, Jan. 19, by investigators of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. The men robbed the store at gunpoint yesterday, Jan. 18, at around 5:15 p.m.

The Butler County Sheriff’s Office sent out a press release late this morning that gave information on the robbery itself.

The owner reported two men entered the store. One of the men, wearing a mask, brandished a black handgun, demanding money. The robbery suspects then took the victim outside where the deposit bag was taken from his car. The suspects locked the victim out of the store and fled in a vehicle after taking an undisclosed amount of money.

A witness was able to get the license plate from the fleeing vehicle and passed the information onto the sheriff’s office.

The two men, who were taken into custody, were identified as Bryan Freeze of Middletown (photo – left) and Wesley Moore (photo – right). Moore was located in Columbus, Ohio.

Also, according to the press release, the investigation has produced evidence linking these suspects to multiple aggravated robberies with Butler County since October 2010.

It is not clear at the time which robberies these men are linked to, but recent local robberies include the robbery at Jimmy John’s off Union Centre Blvd. in West Chester on Jan. 8, the Kroger on Tylersville Rd. in West Chester on Jan. 5, the U.S. Bank on Rt. 4 at Liberty-Fairfield Road in Liberty Township and the Waffle Rouse at 7312 Kingsgate Way in West Chester on Oct. 5.

Both suspects have been arrested and charged with aggravated robbery, which is a felony of the first degree.

Batteries Plus is located at 4887 Princeton Road in Liberty Township.

More information to come as it becomes available

Posted in: Business, Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: Batteries Plus, Bryan Freeze, Butler County Sheriff's Office, gun, gunpoint, Jimmy John's, Kroger, robbery, U.S. Bank, Waffle House, Wesley Moore

The West Chester Police Department released images of the two suspects, who robbed the Jimmy John’s in West Chester Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011 at 8:36 p.m.

The suspects both shown above (click on images to enlarge) are being described as white males, while wearing ski masks, black hooded winter coats and dark pants. One suspect, who is described as being 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10, used a black pistol in robbery. The unarmed robber is being described as 5-foot-10 or 6-foot.

According to the incident report, filed by the West Chester Police Department, the suspects made off with $1,200.

No shots were fired and no was injured during the robbery.

The suspects fled on foot in an unknown direction.

According to the Pulse Journal, the West Chester Police Department is not linking this robbery to other recent robberies.

Recent local robberies include the Kroger on Tylersville Rd. in West Chester on Jan. 5, the U.S. Bank on Rt. 4 at Liberty-Fairfield Road in Liberty Township and the Waffle Rouse at 7312 Kingsgate Way in West Chester on Oct. 5.

The Jimmy John’s restaurant is located at 9239 Floer Drive, which is located off Union Centre Boulevard.

Anyone with information about any of the robberies should contact the West Chester Police Department tip line at 513-759-7272.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: crime, gun, gunpoint, Jimmy John's, Kroger, photos, robbery, suspects, U.S. Bank, Waffle House, West Chester Police, West Chester Police Department

The Jimmy John’s located off Union Centre Boulevard was robbed Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011. Two suspects robbed the restaurant while brandishing firearms.

According to the incident report, filed by the West Chester Police Department, the suspects made off with $1,200.

The robbery took place at 8:36 p.m.

According to the Pulse Journal, the West Chester Police Department is not linking this robbery to other recent robberies.

Recent local robberies include the Kroger on Tylersville Rd. in West Chester on Jan. 5, the U.S. Bank on Rt. 4 at Liberty-Fairfield Road in Liberty Township and the Waffle Rouse at 7312 Kingsgate Way in West Chester on Oct. 5.

The Jimmy John’s restaurant is located at 9239 Floer Drive.

Anyone with information about any of the robberies should contact the West Chester Police Department tip line at 513-759-7272.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: crime, gun, gunpoint, Jimmy John's, Kroger, robbery, U.S. Bank, Waffle House, West Chester Police, West Chester Police Department

On New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2010, a suspect being described by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office as an older white male robbed the U.S. Bank on Rt. 4 at Liberty-Fairfield Road in Liberty Township at approximately 2:53 p.m. Officers are still searching for the suspect.

According to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect is an older white male with white/grey hair at shoulder length. He appeared to be approximately 6 feet tall and 180 pounds. He was wearing dark pants, a collared dress shirt, a Wilson jean jacket with tan sleeves and black ball cap (see photo above).

The suspect did not display a weapon and handed a note to the teller during the robbery.

Those with information about the robbery should contact the Butler County Sheriff’s Office at 513-785-1300.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: bank robbery, Butler County Sheriff's Office, crime, robbery, U.S. Bank