Press Releases

Robbery suspects on the run
Nov. 28, 2009

Surveillance video caught several crooks in the act recently, and now your help is needed putting names with these faces. Two robberies – and three suspects – all walking away with hundreds of dollars in cash after what detectives call well thought out crimes that remain unsolved.

“This was definitely planned. I think it was talked about and planned before the actual crime," said Detective Charles Newell of the Fort Myers Police Department.

On November 2nd, a white male, wearing a white mask, held up the El Patio restaurant on US 41 just before 8 p.m. Brandishing an unusually long black rifle, not commonly used in a robbery, the man demanded cash – and even provided his own bag to put it in.

“It appears that she was a little bit nervous, so he decided to reach in himself and just grab the money and place it into the bag," said Detecitve Nichole Sechrist of FMPD.

Less than 30 seconds later, the robber fled on foot – and blended into a busy Fort Myers intersection.

Detectives say it’s quite likely the suspect cased the restaurant out – knowing when there would be the maximum amount of money in the register, and the last number of people around to witness the robbery.

And in a second, un-related robbery, just a month earlier, detectives hope video surveillance can lead to the positive ID of two masked, black men who came into the Redbones bar just after closing, and robbed the till of more than $300.

“Both were wearing ski masks, gloves and both had identical dark blue jumpsuits, which is kind of odd," Newell said.

Patrol and K-9 officers tracked the suspects to the area of nearby Polk and Washington Streets, where their trail ended and the suspects vanished.

The matching jumpsuits and work gloves worn by both suspects leads detectives to believe the robbers may have been mechanics, living near the area of Palm Beach Boulevard. The bar’s clerk also noted some unusual mannerisms.

"She remembered very clearly that one was completely calm, and the second suspect was quite a bit more anxious, agitated and angry," Newell said.

Although all three suspects were wearing masks, detectives are hopeful someone will recognize the men in these videos, and that they’ll pick up the phone, call in a tip and walk away with some cash of their own.

Anyone with the information on the robberies at either Redbones or El Patio is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). All callers will remain anonymous and will be eligible for up to $1,000 in cash rewards. Tips may also be made online at www.swflcrimestoppers.org.