Multiple deputies, officers, troopers join in pursuit of accused Fellsmere bank robber
A man who robbed a bank in Fellsmere led police officers, along with Indian River and St. Lucie County sheriff's deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers on a chase, ending in Fort Pierce with the man's capture, according to Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry and the Indian River County Sheriff's Office in news releases.
How it began: Just after 10 a.m. Thursday, a robbery alarm came out at iThink Financial bank, 56 N. Broadway St., Fellsmere. Police officers and Indian River County sheriff’s deputies responded. Bank personnel told Fellsmere police officers the man did not display a weapon during the robbery and no one was harmed. He demanded money be placed in a pillow case he brought with him and then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. He was seen by bank personnel running east. Fellsmere officers remained at the bank to investigate.
School locked down: Fellsmere Elementary School is two blocks to the west of the bank and school was in session at the time of the robbery. A Sheriff's Office school resource deputy was on campus at the time and the school was locked down until the area was secured, Touchberry said.
The chase: The suspected bank robber fled in a gray Mazda Miata. Indian River County deputies located him traveling south on I-95. Deputies pursued him into St. Lucie County, where St. Lucie County sheriff’s deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers joined the pursuit.
Crash: The chase ended in Fort Pierce when the man crashed with another vehicle near the intersection of South 13th Street and Georgia Avenue, south of Delaware Avenue. There were no significant injuries to the other driver. The suspect was transported to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce for injuries he sustained in the crash and is in serious condition, according to Touchberry.
Charges: The suspect was identified as David Abram Ziesel, 44, of Port St. Lucie, Touchberry said. He faces charges of robbery and aggravated fleeing and eluding, according to Touchberry and sheriff's officials. Fellsmere Police Department officials are in the process of securing a search warrant for the vehicle to document and collect any evidence. All the money taken from the bank was recovered. Touchberry said Ziesel is currently on federal probation for robbing a bank in 2019 in Oakwood, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Fellsmere bank robbed; suspect leads pursuit through 2 counties
