It’s been a bad few days for Clarkston area bank tellers.
In four days, two Clarkston area banks were robbed by different men handing notes to tellers demanding money and claiming they had a gun.
The second robbery took place on Jan. 29 at approximately 1:31 p.m at TCF bank at 6430 Dixie Highway, south of Maybee Road. Oakland County Sheriff Office (OCSO) deputies from the Independence Township substation arrived to find employees and customers scooping up cash dropped in the parking lot by the robbery suspect.
The suspect, who escaped, presented a teller with a note scribbled on a napkin requesting money and threatening a gun. The teller tripped the alarm as she handed the man an undisclosed amount of cash. According to reports, the man got away with slightly over $500.
According to the teller, the man was in the bank about prior to the robbery asking her for directions before leaving without incident.
During his second visit two hours later, the suspect reportedly stood in line behind another customer before returning to the same teller.
Witnesses, including employees and customers from a nearby restaurant, stated they saw the suspect run from the bank behind the restaurant before he disappeared from view.
Deputies searched the area and found the suspect’s disguise at the edge of the restaurant parking lot near a wooded area. Tracking dogs were brought out to the scene, but were unable to determine the suspect’s direction of travel.
The suspect wore a black navy pea coat, tan scarf, yellow knit ski cap, black curly wig, black gloves, black rimmed glasses, red shirt, blue jeans, white running shoes and white bandages on his nose during the robbery.
Based on descriptions, the suspect is believed to be a 25 to 30-year-old white male standing about six feet tall with a medium build and fair complexion. The man had a small thin mustache and dark or brown hair.
‘I’m not aware of anyone matching the guy yet and I’m not linking him to other robberies. Normally, bank robbers are creatures of habit, but I’m not aware of anyone matching this one at this time,? said Lt. Dale LaBair of the OCSO’s Independence Township substation.
‘Other than this latest one, we only have a couple of open bank robberies over the years, so I’m quite pleased about that part anyway.?
The FBI was notified, but the OCSO is handling the investigation. Witnesses and other persons with information should call 1-888-TURN-1-IN (1-888-887-6146).
LaBair also said there is quality video survelliance of the suspect in his disguise and the robbery is not believed to be linked to an earlier robbery on Jan. 26. A still photo from that video is including with this article.
In the Jan. 26 robbery, police captured the suspect following a chase on a Waterford street. During his attempted escape the man struck a patrol car, mailbox, boulder and tree with his van before exiting the vehicle and fleeing on foot.
In 52-2 District Court on Jan. 27, the suspect, Antoine Desean Walker of Pontiac, was arraigned on charges stemming from the bank robbery of Chase One Bank on Dixie Highway.
Walker faces three total counts of armed robbery, bank robbery and fleeing and eluding, according to Detective Lonnie Mullins of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.
Bond was set at $250,000, said Mullins, who explained that the first two counts are felonies for which Walker could face life in prison.
Walker, 31, allegedly entered the bank wearing a black trench coat, black knit cap and scarf around 9: 25 a.m. He reportedly approached a teller and gave her verbal and written instructions, before making away with approximately $1,420 in cash.
According to police reports, Walker told the teller not to hit any alarms because he was watching her hands and feet. The first note, written on a withdrawal slip, warned the teller not to say anything and instructed her to put the money in the bag. The second note stated the man had a gun, but he did not want to hurt anyone. The note also stated the man wanted only to feed his family.
‘There was no gun recovered at this time. He seemingly only implied a gun,? said Mullins, who noted that no gun was ever seen or shown during the robbery or when police apprehended Walker.
After the teller put the money in the envelope, the man took it and left the bank. Several workers and witnesses at the bank did not realize the robbery took place until told by other bank employees or when police arrived, stated reports.
Sheriff units responding to the dispatch call identified a vehicle with a driver matching the suspect’s description near Dixie Highway and Andersonville Road.
Police followed the suspect, who drove a maroon minivan, while waiting for back up. A deputy at Dixie Highway and Hatchery Road turned southbound on Saginaw Trail where police attempted to stop Walker.
Walker’s van hit the front of the police vehicle, then struck several boulders and a mail box before smashing into a tree in a yard and coming to a stop, stated reports.
From there, the suspect fled on foot until he was caught a short time later by a Waterford Police officer in plain clothes.
‘It was perfect. Everyone did what they should have done. There was a lot of luck, you don’t always catch suspects after a robbery, but we had observant officers who gave a good description of the vehicle,? said Mullins.
‘When it was all said and done, from handing the note to the teller to his capture, it probably took about 18 to 20 minutes,? said Mullins.
Neither the suspect’s van or patrol car were drivable after the incident. The van was badly damaged on both sides and the front with a front wheel completely broken off. The patrol car had damage to the right front and quarter panel.
No major injuries were reported in the incident, said LaBair.
Detective Mullins confirmed one other patrol car was damaged while responding to the robbery, but did suffer damage directly in the chase.
LaBair echoed Mullins? statements saying he was aware of only two patrol cars being damaged; one during the chase and the other in an unrelated accident while the unit was attempting to respond to the robbery call.
According to Mullins, Walker had no criminal convictions, but had outstanding warrants for driving with a suspended license and having expired plates.
Police reports stated that Walker also confessed to two other bank robberies in Bloomfield Township in Nov. 2005 and Jan. 2006. Reports stated authorities confirmed that there were two bank robberies in the township around the time the suspect confessed he made the acts.