Bank robbery suspect arrested
Robinson Township police, the FBI and Ohio authorities joined forces Wednesday to arrest a suspect roughly two hours after an armed robbery at the First Commonwealth Bank in Robinson.
The robbery took place just before 2 p.m. The suspect was armed and entered the bank wearing a camouflage ski mask, police said. He left with about $8,000.
Two hours later, suspect Montague Howard, a Wintersville, Ohio, native, was detained in a stop just west of Steubenville after fleeing the bank, police said.
A Robinson police officer who happened to be in the area was alerted to the robbery after he noticed a car driving fast and away from the bank on Park Manor Boulevard around the time of the incident, police said. Robinson police then got a description of the suspect and vehicle and pulled a license plate from nearby traffic cameras.
That information led detectives to Wintersville, where the vehicle and plates were registered, authorities said.
Wintersville Police Chief Art Fowler Jr. said information provided to them by Robinson police allowed them to set up surveillance at a residence in Ohio where the car plates were registered.
There, they saw the suspect going in and out of a home, the police chief said. Wintersville authorities followed the suspect and later arrested him during a felony stop without incident, Chief Fowler said.
Officials later found a trash bag containing about $8,000 at Mr. Howard’s home, as well as other evidence.
“We believe we recovered all of the money, and we ended up locating the firearm and ski mask and clothing the suspect was wearing at the time of the bank robbery,” Chief Fowler said. “We got him stopped quickly and into custody. We’re thankful no one was hurt, including the suspect.”
FBI Pittsburgh also went to Ohio, interviewed the suspect and assisted in searching for additional evidence, he said.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without the Robinson police department and the Pittsburgh FBI,” Chief Fowler said. “There was outstanding communication and cooperation between all agencies.”
Mr. Howard is being held at the Jefferson County Jail in Ohio on charges of receiving stolen items. He is also facing federal charges that have yet to be filed. Charges will also be filed in Robinson, a Pittsburgh FBI spokeswoman said.