A man who robbed Arvest Bank in Anderson of an undisclosed amount of cash Monday afternoon was caught within two hours of the hold-up, according to McDonald County Sheriff Mike Hall.
Hall said Perry D. Abercrombie, 58, of Anderson, was taken into custody at his residence off Route F, just outside of Anderson. Abercrombie was held overnight at the McDonald County Jail before being transferred to federal authorities on Tuesday. He was charged Tuesday in the United States District Court in Springfield.
At about 4 p.m. on Monday, May 18 witnesses said said a male wearing a dark hoodie and sunglasses came into the bank and handed a teller a note demanding money. Hall said no weapon was displayed and no weapon was threatened in the note.
The suspect then left on foot with an unspecified amount of money. Hall said it is thought that Abercrombie had his vehicle hidden not far from the bank. He said an employee saw him walking north when he left.
Hall said information provided by "a very astute" trooper led to identification of Abercrombie as a suspect and his subsequent arrest.
Hall said about an hour and a half prior to the robbery, Trooper Walter "Corky" Burr with the Missouri State Highway Patrol saw a red pickup driving slowly in the area of the bank. Hall said Burr ran the tags and driver's information, which came back valid, so no traffic stop was made.
After the bank robbery, the description of the suspect was sent out and Burr thought the driver of the vehicle he checked earlier matched the description of the robber. Burr returned to the bank and Abercrombie was tentatively identified.
Hall said deputies went to Abercrombie's residence, but he was not home. A short time later, while canvassing the neighborhood, deputies saw a vehicle matching Abercrombie's heading to the residence. A deputy on the scene made contact with Abercrombie and took him into custody without incident.
A hoodie and an undetermined amount of cash was located in the suspect's house.
Law enforcement personnel with the Anderson Police Department, McDonald County Sheriff's Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI investigated the incident.
General News on 05/21/2015