Bomb Squad Called In After Bank Holdup In Doral
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DORAL (CBSMiami) -- Police have made an arrest after a bank robbery in Doral that involved bomb squad units and an area evacuation.
"He was really strange, the face of his. Yeah, it was not a good face," said Dwight Rodriguez, who told CBS4's Peter D'Oench he won't forget the face of the suspected thief.
Terry Meach was taken into police custody on Thursday following the robbery at a Chase Bank at 9785 N.W. 41st Street.
Rodriguez spoke to Meach moments before he entered the bank.
"I saw him this morning. He came to me and he wanted a cigarette. I told him I don't have a cigarette," Rodriguez recalled.
Police said Meach entered the bank just as it opened at 9 a.m.
"A call came in through Chase security and dispatch that a man in a green t-shirt, khaki pants and wearing a black ski cap had a package with him, and hands in his pockets, and was making threats," said Capt. Pablo Rodriguez of the Doral Police Dept.
Meach claimed he had links to ISIS.
"We learned from the bank that he was the first customer in the bank today and he was demanding $60,000 in cash or he would blow the place up," Capt. Rodriguez said.
Officials said Meach fled after being given an undetermined amount of money. He was spotted by an officer and was chased a block away where he was arrested at N.W. 97th Avenue and 41st Street.
"He threw all the money up in the air. The money was recovered. The gentleman was taken into custody. There was no indication that there was any ties to ISIS. But he did claim he left a package with a bomb," Capt. Rodriguez said.
Businesses along N.W. 41st Street were evacuated as the Miami-Dade Police bomb squad was called in.
"They did a wonderful job making sure there was nothing flammable," said Capt. Rodriguez, after units determined there was no threat. "Apparently it was two cans of beer."
Meach has been arrested before.
"This gentleman has been involved with two prior bank robberies and he has no links to ISIS," Capt. Rodriguez said.
The FBI said Meach may have also been captured on camera Tuesday robbing a SunTrust Bank on Federal Highway in Ft. Lauderdale.
Doral Police said they responded quickly because no one wanted to take any chances.
"It surprised me because this is Doral and this sort of thing doesn't usually happen," said Dwight Rodriguez.