Elderly man with cane arrested after Florida police say he robbed a bank with a knife

Benjamin Johnson and Donovan Slack, USA TODAY NETWORK
·1 min read
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CW-H Stock PPD Patrol Vehicle
CW-H Stock PPD Patrol Vehicle

An elderly man walked with a cane into a bank in Pensacola, Florida, on Friday, and police say, demanded money.

Randall Digsby was armed with a knife and made off with a small amount of cash, Pensacola police spokesman Mike Wood told the News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

But he didn't make it far.

Wood said the robbery attempt took place at 9:47 a.m. and the man was arrested outside the bank just two minutes later. Digsby is 75 years old, according to Escambia County jail records.

Digsby has been charged with armed robbery.

Randall L. Digsby was arrested and charged with robbery in Pensacola, Florida, on Jan. 5, 2024.
Randall L. Digsby was arrested and charged with robbery in Pensacola, Florida, on Jan. 5, 2024.

There were no injuries, Wood said, and the stolen money was recovered.

Digby's age would seem striking for an accused bank robber. But arrest data show elderly people are increasingly being charged with crimes.

An analysis of U.S. crime data by The Marshall Project and published in partnership with USA TODAY shows that the number of arrests of people over 65 grew by nearly 30% between 2000 and 2020 — at the same time that overall arrests fell by nearly 40%. The number of elder arrests is growing faster than the population is aging.

Older Americans are still a small portion of overall arrests — less than 2%.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Police arrest elderly man with cane in Pensacola Synovus Bank robbery