Suspected Serial Bank Robber Charged In Little Village Heist
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A serial bank robber who led authorities on a chase after allegedly holding up his sixth area bank Tuesday morning has been ordered held in federal custody.
Colby D. Bell, 40, was charged with one federal count of bank robbery and appeared briefly Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheila Finnegan at the Dirksen Federal Building.
At 10:47 a.m. Tuesday, Bell entered the TCF Bank branch at 3333 W. 26th St. and approached a teller, according to a federal criminal complaint. He gave her a note and a plastic bag. The teller only had time to read the word "dye" before he said, "I will shoot you in the head if you don't give me the cash. No dye pack."
The teller put cash in the bag along with a GPS tracking device, according to the complaint. He told the teller to get the other tellers to also put money in the bag, and she held the bag open for a second teller, who did not appear to understand.
The suspect told the other teller to "put the money in the bag or I will kill you," according to the complaint. Two more tellers put more money in the bag, and he left the bank, leaving the note behind.
He got away with $4,128 from the bank, according to the complaint. A Chicago Police evidence technician recovered the note, which said, "I have a gun put 100s 50s 20 10s in the bag. No dye packs. I will shoot you quickly. Be quiet."
The FBI and Chicago Police began following the tracking device and broadcasting its location over police radios.
An Illinois State Police trooper saw a blue Dodge Charger speeding northbound on I-55 at Ashland Avenue, according to the complaint. The Charger turned south onto northbound Ashland, nearly striking other vehicles. The trooper followed until the driver turned in front of a semi and the Charger was struck.
After the crash, the suspect parked in a restaurant parking lot in the 3200 block of South Ashland, got out of the vehicle and began to run, according to the complaint. After a short foot chase, the trooper and two citizens captured him as he tried to climb a fence.
The stolen cash and tracking device were recovered from the Charger, according to the complaint. The suspect, identified as Bell, admitted to that morning's robbery and to five others in the area.
The other robberies happened:
at 3:14 p.m. March 8 at the West Suburban Bank at 1380 Army Trail Rd. in Carol Stream;
at 6:36 p.m. March 10 at the Guaranty Bank branch at 4620 S. Damen Ave.;
at 12:15 p.m. March 12 at the CitiBank branch at 2801 W. Devon Ave.;
at 3:17 p.m. March 21 at the Guranty Bank branch at 7030 S. Ashland Ave.; and
at 3:45 p.m. March 29 at the TCF Bank branch at 1250 W. Main St. in West Dundee.
Finnegan ordered Bell detained when his court-appointed lawyer declined to argue for bond. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2016. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
