Ann Arbor police recover all the cash stolen in Bank of America robbery; no arrests have yet been made
Two bank robbers sought since Thursday morning haven't been found — but the cash they stole has, Ann Arbor police say.
Police Lt. Angella Abrams confirmed this afternoon that all of the loot the men stole at the Bank of America branch in the 3200 block of Eisenhower Parkway was found nearby.
Abrams declined to say how much was taken. But she said officers who descended on the area following the brazen heist found the cash a short distance from the bank property.
Ann Arbor police are still attempting to identify these men.
"The money was tracked nearby, and we have confirmed all of it was recovered," Abrams said.
Meanwhile, detectives continue to follow up on tips they've received since releasing photos from surveillance footage inside the bank, Abrams said.
The robbers arrived at the bank branch in a green Dodge Stratus they stole from the Spicetree apartment complex in Pittsfield Township hours earlier, police said.
Once inside the bank, one of them immediately fired several rounds in the general direction of the tellers, police said. Detective Sgt. Pat Hughes declined to say exactly how many shots were fired, but said one rifle was used and was left at the scene.
They were in and out of the bank in about a minute, Hughes said.
The robbers fled on foot, leaving the stolen car behind. The incident prompted several nearby schools and businesses to lock down for several hours while police searched the area.
Police officials said officers stopped and questioned a number of people in the area, but no one was arrested.
Part of the police investigation now focuses on the possible link between Thursday's robbery and two other similar bank robberies — one on Nov. 5, 2009, at the same bank branch and one on Sept. 22, 2009, in Superior Township.
Anyone who has information on last week's bank robbery is asked to call Det. Michael Lencioni at 734-794-6930, ext. 49317, the tip line at 734-794-6939 or e-mail tips@a2gov.org.
Comments
babarossa
Tue, Oct 26, 2010 : 2:43 p.m.
@Lollypop - You should be talking to the police!!!
lollyPop
Mon, Oct 25, 2010 : 8:12 p.m.
I saw a guy at the plasma center on Michigan with orange suede shoes and a couple guys asked for and received gloves from an emplyee there.
CincoDeMayo
Sat, Oct 23, 2010 : 10:36 p.m.
Let's see, they left a car, a rifle and the money. Some would say that they left more behind than they gained, but what if they were only looking for that permanent purple dye to go with the purple shorts? What if they were just overcome with school spirit? Should Pioneer have been the school on lockdown?? Or Ypsi High? That notwithstanding, I think Gorc is right, these will turn out to be some locals.
jns131
Sat, Oct 23, 2010 : 9:33 p.m.
That purple dye stuff is nasty and does not wash off easily if it gets all over you. I heard about how it is used and to me it sounds like mace all over your face and well, can we say violet? You are turning violet. Glad the money was recovered. Now we need to get those dudes off the streets. Wow. What a story.
CincoDeMayo
Sat, Oct 23, 2010 : 8:31 p.m.
@EyeHeartA2 Well...in the lower playground of Pattengill perhaps?
Linda
Sat, Oct 23, 2010 : 10:17 a.m.
I feel for the bank tellers who are in the line of fire but who are the lowest paid bank employees. You couldn't pay me enough to do their job.
Gorc
Sat, Oct 23, 2010 : 9:04 a.m.
The great spender of other peoples money.
InsideTheHall
Sat, Oct 23, 2010 : 6:07 a.m.
Purple shorts, Pioneer ties perhaps??
Gorc
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 9:09 p.m.
Macabre - most banks are self insured and losses of this nature are written off as an expense item. FDIC insurance does not cover these types of losses. There is a cost benefit to how much a bank should spend on security equipment. Camera angles are at a fixed angle..for example at a customer standing at a specific teller window. There is a much greater need for the DVR to replay a customer transaction then a bank robbery. Bank robberies are few and far between, but recreating a customer transaction is much more common. Plus people have to realize that what they watch on CSI is not reality. Spending an unlimited amount of dollars on security equipment will not equate into apprehend more bad guys.
Chris 8 - YPSI PRIDE
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 8:52 p.m.
Just for anyones information, banks now use very small tracking devices inside packs of money that send off a signal to the the moneys location. I watched this happen on one of the reality shows a few weeks back. A bank robber was pullled over and arrested after a nearby police car detected a signal coming from his car. It's probably something similar to a lo-jack device used for stolen cars. I am sure they do not want this to be public information for obvious reasons.
Macabre Sunset
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 6:59 p.m.
To answer Robert's question: lighting. It is exceptionally difficult to get a good shot of a widely variant area with inconsistent lighting. Progress can be made with autofocus technology. What surprises me is that there's no attempt made to photograph everyone at a lower angle as they enter a bank or as they reach a teller's station. There, you're focusing on a fixed point, and technology now embraces what's essentially "auto-lighting" since the camera can analyze and adjust for what it knows is background. I suspect much more thorough security systems are being implemented and tested as we speak, and we're only a year or so away from mass deployment. Also, what's not necessarily relevant is the profit margin in the billions. Banks carry insurance. As security cameras improve, insurance companies evaluate security systems and determine the price of insurance. At some point, it will become cost-effective to make the switch to a more advanced system, based on insurance cost savings alone.
trs80
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 6:38 p.m.
Glad to hear they did not get the cash
Michigan Reader
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 6:33 p.m.
Their M.O. doesn't make sense. Why did they leave their (presumably)escape vehicle behind? It also looks from the article, that they didn't ask a teller for money, but jumped the counter and grabbed from the cash drawer, my point being that when a robber asks for cash, the teller picks a specific, reserved bundle of cash used for just such an occasion. To leave the money, only to return later and get it, wouldn't make sense because a tracking dog would lead the police to the spot, where the cops could then set up surviellance. (sp?)
RobertinSaline
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 6:19 p.m.
In this digital, high-def age, why is it that the photos at banks and convenience stores are always such poor quality, even in daylight conditions? Last year ( a down year), Bank of America reported net income of $6.3 billion. Why not better camera images to catch the crooks? Someone with image experience? - please educate me.
Gorc
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 4:33 p.m.
A2miguy.....how do you know a dye pack was actually used?
a2miguy
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 4:13 p.m.
For those that don't know... if in fact an exploding dye pack was used, it rendered the cash useless. It is quite possible this is why the money was left behind.
Gorc
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 4:02 p.m.
In time it will reveal that this crime was committed by LOCAL kids. Not Ann Arbor kids or Ypsilanti kids, but inexperienced in life, local kids.
Veracity
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 3:31 p.m.
Atticus:......apparently not that well hidden, eh?
Atticus F.
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 3:14 p.m.
Exactly where was the money found? I wonder if they stashed it with the intention of coming back for it. was it well hidden?
Ricebrnr
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 3:09 p.m.
What a refreshing pair of criminals! Instead of simply leaving with more than they came with, they leave with less! Their weapon, the car even the money. We have got to catch these guys if only to hear the backstory. On a more serious note, now that they are in the "hole" so to speak, I wonder if they like addicted gamblers will feel compelled to double down and try again..very soon.
amberherself
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 2:55 p.m.
These guys need to watch Ben Affleck's The Town.
Joshua
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 2:42 p.m.
They shouldn't of done the robbery if they were just going to drop the money because you don't get anything besides a criminal record, years of jail, and police chasing you
Veracity
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 2:32 p.m.
The description of the robbery suggests that the robbers are amateurs. If they were not wearing gloves an abundance of finger prints may be present on the vehicle, the rifle and the money or money satchel. I hope that the police canvas the Spicetree apartment complex showing the pictures of the suspects. Although their faces can not be seen their clothing may be recognized. I wonder if foot prints were present at the site where the money was found which will provide further evidence. Firing a weapon in the direction of tellers warrants the charge of attempted murder in addition to armed robbery and grand theft auto. What is frightening is that rifle bullets can penetrate walls and potentially injure or kill bystanders possibly a block or two away from the bank. I hope that these criminals are caught quickly.
Tom Teague
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 2:26 p.m.
Thanks Amalie. There are a couple of entertaining security videos on YouTube showing dye packs exploding on unsuspecting bank robbers in other locales. Despite what "Raising Arizona" showed, they are typically filled with red dye and also discharge mace or tear gas. Since the explosions generate heat, the packs often partially burn the money. A dye pack really can spoil a robber's day.
ThaKillaBee
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 2:25 p.m.
So are they just doing it for the sport?? Why leave a gun and ALL the money behind???
LANDS
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 2:12 p.m.
I hope they catch these bank robbers and throw away the key. Nobody wants to think about people stealing cars & robbing banks in our town.
SuperFreckleFace
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 2:08 p.m.
Went passed the bank about 45 minutes ago. Two cop cars w/a tow truck and a car w/its trunk popped in parking lot.
Tom Teague
Fri, Oct 22, 2010 : 1:59 p.m.
@Amalie - I'm pretty sure that neither the police nor the bank will comment on this, but is there any indication that an exploding dye pack or other device scared the robbers into dropping the money?