Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
Man held in robbery of BB&T branch
No weapon was used in attempt
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
By ASHLEY JACKSON - Bulletin Staff Writer
A 74-year-old Martinsville man has been charged with robbing the BB&T branch at 1 Ellsworth St. in Martinsville on Monday.
John Andrew Bowles, of 303 E. Church St., Martinsville, was charged in the incident Monday afternoon, according to a news release from the Martinsville Police Department.
According to the release, around 1:30 p.m. Monday a man walked into the bank and allegedly handed a note to a teller.
Martinsville Police Captain Eddie Cassady said he didn’t know what was written in the note, but he said it demanded money.
The teller gave the man money from the drawer of her teller’s station, and the man allegedly fled on foot, he said.
The teller’s action followed the bank’s protocol, Cassady added.
He added that he did not know how much money was given out.
After the man allegedly fled, his description was given to officers responding to the scene, the release stated. Officer J.M. Washburn came in contact with a person matching the person’s description at the corner of Main and Clay streets, the release stated.
There was no evidence of a weapon and no one was hurt in the incident, Cassady said.
“We were very fortunate,” said Melissa Huffman, regional branch operations manager at BB&T.
The branch closed for about an hour and a half after the incident and while police were on scene. It reopened at about 3:30 p.m., Huffman said.
Police “were quick to respond” and quick to resolve the issue, for which Huffman grateful.
“When it’s taken care of that quickly, it makes everyone feel a whole lot better,” she said. “(The police) did a great job.”
Bowles is being held in the city jail without bond, according to Cassady.
.jpg "104")
