Suspects in trio of Monroe-area bank robberies arrested in Ohio
Authorities have apprehended the suspects believed to have committed three armed robberies in Monroe County last month.
The two individuals were apprehended in Guernsey County, Ohio after they committed what investigators believe was their 15th bank robbery, and following a 50-mile, high-speed pursuit through multiple jurisdictions in the Buckeye State, according to a joint press release issued by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, City of Monroe Police Department, and the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office.
The duo is believed to have been behind three armed bank robberies that occurred in Monroe over a 12-day period at the end of May. The first occurred on May 12 at the PNC Bank at 202 N. Monroe St.; the second on May 18 at the First Merchants Bank in Monroe Township; and the third on May 24 at the PNC Bank at 465 N. Telegraph Rd.
Following the listed bank robberies, detectives with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe City Police Department and agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation coordinated a multi-jurisdictional team to investigate. During the investigation, investigators reportedly learned of numerous other bank robberies with similar methods of operation as the Monroe County robberies. At this time, investigators believe the bank robbery crew struck in four different states: Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Indiana.
Investigators were able to pinpoint an area where they believed the bank robbery crew would commit their next bank robbery. On Monday, working in conjunction with the FBI and Ohio authorities, law enforcement apprehended the two individuals in Guernsey County.
The suspects reportedly led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit that ended when their vehicle crashed and they were apprehended. The individuals - whose identities are being withheld pending formal charges and arraignment - are residents of the greater Cleveland, Ohio area. They are currently lodged in the Guernsey County, Ohio Jail.
The incident remains under investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe City Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation and multiple law enforcement agencies within the State of Ohio. Anyone with information is asked to call the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau at 734-240-7530.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Suspects in trio of Monroe bank robberies arrested in Ohio
