Deputies arrested a bank robbery suspect, who tried to run, but was caught after asking a stranger for help.
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said the suspect, whose name has not been released yet, robbed the Florida Central Credit Union just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
"We saw the police swerve in and come at all ends of the street," Brendala Lande, who works nearby, described.
The suspect stole an undisclosed amount of money that had a dye pack with it, according to authorities.
"I don't know what went wrong in his life to go do what he did, you know, feel sorry for the guy," Anthony Desantis said.
Desantis, a mechanic, was working on his car and heard a gunshot.
"Didn't really think it was a gunshot 'til we heard the second gunshot," Desantis said.
When he walked out of his garage, he saw a stranger near his front door.
"He said that his truck broke down. (He was) sweating profusely so I was like 'oh, let's go find your truck'," Desantis said.
Desantis didn't realize-at first-there wasn't a truck.
"(We) started hearing a siren (and I) started putting stuff together. (I) kind of distance(d) myself from him a little bit more. (I) didn't really know what was going on. He was like, 'they got me'," Desantis said.
Deputies pulled into the neighborhood and arrested the suspected bank robber. The bank is about half a mile away from Desantis' home.
This is the area where the bank robber fled to and was apprehended by deputies. pic.twitter.com/sLSuhcHEpA
— SarasotaSheriff (@SarasotaSheriff) May 3, 2017
Deputies, detectives and forensic personnel remain on scene as robbery investigation continues. pic.twitter.com/ZXNzuhpgri
— SarasotaSheriff (@SarasotaSheriff) May 3, 2017
"He tried to get into my neighbor's shed and that's when he came out and (said) 'hey what are you doing'. He fired a warning shot," Desantis said.
Desantis realized the two gunshots he heard, before the suspect approached him, were from his neighbor, who tried to stop the suspect before the deputies did.
"The guy looked scared, out of place, now we know why he was looking the way he was," Desantis said.
