Milwaukee deputy, police arrest suspected serial bank robbers

Posted on: 1:35 pm, July 13, 2012, by A.J. Bayatpour, updated on: 06:25pm, July 13, 2012

MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Deputy and Milwaukee police officer arrested two men suspected of robbing a U.S. Bank branch in Germantown Friday morning. The suspects are also thought to be a responsible for many other bank robberies in southeast Wisconsin.

Just after noon, the deputy spotted a vehicle matching a description mentioned in the Germantown robbery about 45 minutes earlier. It was at a gas station at 5th and Becher in Milwaukee.

The deputy blocked the vehicle’s exit from the gas station. The suspect tried to drive in reverse and take another exit, but a Milwaukee Police Department squad blocked that route.

Two people inside that car were taken into custody — and turned over to Washington County detectives.

One of the men arrested is suspected of robbing banks in Germantown, West Bend and Hartford.

“Early on in the investigation, we got the surveillance video and still photos and it’s obvious to us it’s the same individual and the same operation,” said Germantown Police Chief Peter Hoell.

In every instance, the suspect simply displayed a demand note — and never implied he had a weapon.

Photo Gallery Expand 1 of 7