JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Barely more than an hour after police say he passed a note to a clerk demanding money to a teller at the Chase Bank on Dunn Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, the suspected robber was arrested trying to catch a flight out of Jacksonville International Airport.
Witnesses said Dennis Robinson showed up at the American Airlines ticket counter, sweating and trying to catch his breath, asked for a plane ticket to "anywhere" and tried to pay with a wad of cash.
The robber’s plan didn’t take off. Instead of selling him a ticket, the ticket agent summoned an airport police officer.
"They were trying to pay in cash and they were trying to get out of town soon," Michael Stewart said.
A source said $100 bills flew out as Robinson was trying to buy a ticket. The police report said $5,000 was taken from the bank.
His escape plan grounded, police detained then arrested him, giving him a free trip ... to jail.
No weapon was seen at either the bank or the airport and no one was injured at either location, but Robinson's actions did garner a lot of attention.
"I just seen a whole bunch of police officers around," one Chase customer said after the 4:15 p.m. robbery.
"It’s pretty unbelievable," another customer told News4Jax. "But that’s what’s going on in today's society. It’s sad, but that’s reality."
Airport authorities said this was a good example of "See Something, Say Something." They hope this incident encourages people to come forward to police when they notice things that don’t seem right.
News4Jax confirmed Robinson's arrest at the airport was connected to the Chase robbery, although the name and address of the bank were redacted from the arrest report, citing Marcy's Law protection of victim's rights. The report said Robinson used his real identification at the bank before handing over a note with the word "robbery" on it.
Robinson is charged with strong-arm robbery and is being held on $25,000 bond.