JENSEN BEACH — A tile setter who had not been paid in three weeks told Martin County sheriff’s investigators he decided to rob a bank to get money Monday morning.

William Albert Crowell, 44, of the 4100 block of Cinnamon Circle, was arrested 31 minutes after being suspected of handing the teller at the PNC Bank at 1021 N.E. Jensen Beach Blvd. a note that read: “Give me the money. Have gun.”

The teller handed him a pack of money that included a dye pack and he left the bank. The dye pack exploded, and he fled in a gray Chevrolet. He was followed by a witness who reported his travels to 911 operators.

Crowell, who is wanted for parole violations in Massachusetts, returned to the Cinnamon Circle address where his fiancee was taking a shower.

The house was soon surrounded by deputies, who then entered it and arrested Crowell, charging him with bank robbery. He told investigators he had not been paid, was behind on his bills and was afraid he would be thrown out of his home.

His fiancee told officers she thought he had left for work about 8:30 a.m., but then he returned about 10:30 a.m., while she was in the shower. She saw him washing his hands, face and hair, and placing his trousers in the washing machine. Then he told her he had robbed a bank, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Crowell told officers he acted alone and was unarmed. He is being held without bond.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 9:58 pm and is filed under Crime, Jensen Beach. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.