Chief York: Same group behind half of 2012 bank robberies

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)  Fort Wayne Police Chief Rusty York said the same group is behind at least half of the city's bank and credit union robberies so far in 2012.  But the suspect in Wednesday's bank robbery is new on FWPD's radar.

On Wednesday, a suspect handed a note to a teller at the PNC Bank on Coventry Lane demanding money and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.  The crime marked the 15th bank or credit union robbed across Fort Wayne in 2012.  That's the highest number of bank or credit union robberies since 2006, and triple the crime total just one year earlier.

York blames the increase on a specific group.

"We definitely know that there is a group of individuals working together, a group of serial armed robbers, who are responsible for at least half of the armed robberies that have occurred in Fort Wayne this year, and we feel they are responsible for other robberies in the region," York said.  "If you have a group of serial criminals, they can really have an impact on the crime in your community and that's what we're seeing now."

York said that although this group is elusive, FWPD and other agencies are making progress on their investigations and doing all they can to catch the suspects.

So far, police have arrested three people for the 2012 bank robberies.  A robbery warrant has also been issued for Dajuan Cooper.  Police think Cooper is responsible for the robbery at Chase Bank on E. State Blvd November 20, plus another robbery.