Arlington County police say an alert citizen helped officers catch the man suspected of robbing a bank, then trying to change his clothes to evade authorities.
Police said the heist happened at about 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, when 26-year-old Nathaniel Rush walked into a PNC Bank branch located on the 4400 block of Wilson Boulevard, approached a teller and handed the clerk a bag and a note.
The note said, “Bank Robbery, No Dye” and included a picture of a gun, according to police. The teller placed money inside the bag and Rush, of College Park, left the bank, police said.
There was only one customer inside the bank at the time. But an alert witness watched Rush from outside during the heist, then followed him into a nearby alley and watched as he tried to remove a disguise and escape.
Police said the witness saw Rush, who was wearing a wig, bright yellow shirt, black hat and sunglasses during the robbery, change clothes in the alley. As he was changing, a dye pack that the bank clerk had placed in his bag exploded, staining his T-shirt and face.
Rush tried to flee, but police apprehended him on the 900 block of North Stuart Street, five minutes after the robbery had been reported to authorities.
Rush had red dye on him when he was caught, authorities said. But he told officers, “You have the wrong guy,” according to police.
Court records show he is being held without bond, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 2 in Arlington County district court.
