ROSWELL, Ga. — An alleged bank robbery suspect who sparked a search through a Roswell neighborhood and caused a soft lockdown at an elementary school is now in custody, police said Thursday morning.
According to an update from the Roswell Police Department, the 27-year-old is "safely in custody."
"Additional details regarding his offenses and capture will be released later today," police said.
The alleged robbery occurred at a Truist Bank on Holcomb Bridge Road on Monday afternoon. Investigators descended on Old Mountain Park Road the following day, Tuesday, as the search continued for the suspect.
At one point, Mountain Park Elementary School was placed on a soft lockdown, which was described as a lockdown that occurs when a threat is identified outside the school building.
In a release later Thursday, Roswell Police described the bank robbery as one where the suspect "had passed a note demanding money and threatening the possession of gun, though none was displayed." He was gone by the time police showed up.
Then on Tuesday, the day after the attempted bank robbery, Roswell Police said the suspect was identified on E. Crossville Rd., where several officers responded. They found the suspect and initiated a traffic stop, but he drove off to the area of Mountain Park, where he "abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot."
A 29-year-old woman was in the car and police made contact with her, determining she was a "knowing participant" in the robbery.
At that point the heavy police search was initiated in the residential area, but the suspect was not located that day. A break came Wednesday night when detectives obtained cell phone data for the suspect, indicating he was still in the area of Mountain Park Road.
"Detectives immediately returned to the area of the cell phone ping, and found an outbuilding on a nearby property with evidence that someone had recently been inside," a release said. "Detectives made contact with the homeowner, and as she came to the door to meet them, she saw (the suspect) lying on the floor of a spare bedroom. The homeowner immediately exited and allowed officers inside, who took (the suspect) into custody without incident."
The homeowner told police she had not been aware the suspect was inside her home and that "there was no prior contact between the two of them," with officers determining he had "likely entered the home shortly before through a kitchen window while the homeowner was away."
The suspect was taken to Fulton County Jail on charges of armed robbery, criminal trespass and several other traffic offenses.
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia.
