CLARKTON — A South Carolina man with face paint entered the Clarkton BB&T bank Friday around 4:23 p.m. and handed the teller a note demanding cash. No weapon was displayed.
Another bank employee subsequently called 911 and reported the attempted theft. A sheriff’s deputy arrived on the scene within two minutes of the call for assistance, but the suspect fled the location on foot prior to his arrival.
A search of the area was conducted by the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. The suspect was apprehended lying in a wooded area a short distance from the bank by a trooper. The officers involved in the search used skills learned in land search training to locate the suspect.
“The apprehension of the suspect in this case shows that close working relationships between law enforcement agencies can pay dividends to the citizens of our community” said Sheriff Jim McVicker of the arrest of the suspect.
The suspect has been tentatively identified as Neil Alexander Torrez of Myrtle Beach, S.C.