Man Charged With Robbing Bank Apologized For Scaring Teller
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 40-year-old man apologized for robbing a South Side bank, after he was arrested about an hour after taking $823 from a bank in the McKinley Park neighborhood.
Bryan K. Mason, of 1620 W. 38th St., has been charged with one count of bank robbery, according to FBI spokesman Ross Rice. Mason appeared for before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Mason on Wednesday and was ordered held without bond, pending a detention hearing on Friday.
Mason allegedly confessed to the robbery and wrote a note to the court apologizing for his actions, according to a criminal complaint filed on Wednesday.
Mason allegedly held up the Fifth Third Bank branch at 1950 W. 33rd St. shortly before 4 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the complaint.
A teller told the FBI that a man approached and said "I need some change" and handed over an envelope and a note that said, "Put the money in the envelope, there are more people around. Do not cause a scene or they will come in," according to the complaint.
The teller said the demand note used block letters written in all capital letters.
The teller handed over $823 in cash, including a dye pack and bait money -- bills with pre-recorded serial numbers -- and the robber left the bank.
The robber fled east on 33rd Street after the robbery. A bank employee spotted him and flagged down an Illinois State Police patrol car. The trooper notified Chicago police and, around 4:20 p.m., officers found a black backpack on the ground at 3332 S. Archer Av.
The backpack contained an exploded dye pack, two pairs of shoes, a brown hat, sunglasses, dark pants and a brown sweater -- clothing which matched the description of the robber.
The backpack also contained a note reading "We are all around you. Put money in bag. We will attack. Be quick and quiet then we will go." The note was written in all capital, block style letters, just like the note that was handed to the teller.
A few minutes later, police officers saw a man climbing a fence onto the roof of a garage in the alley behind 3310 S. Hoyne Av. The man was not wearing any shoes and fit the description of the robber, so he was arrested and later identified himself as Bryan K. Mason.
Bank employees identified Mason as the robber and he confessed to the robbery when he was shown surveillance video of the heist. He also wrote a letter to the court apologizing for the robbery and saying he prays he "did not scare the harmless teller, whom I had no intention on harming or hurting," according to the complaint.
