Editor’s Note: This is the 19th in a series of 24 articles published by The Apopka Voice in 2017 that were among the most noteworthy. We will post all of them from December 26th and December 31st. Then on Monday, January 1st we will poll our readers and let them decide which is Apopka's biggest story of 2017.
Story #19: Multiple law enforcement agencies tracked the bank robbery suspects for several days before arresting them at the Iberia Bank in Apopka
First published December 7th, 2017
Apopka and Central Florida just got a lot safer this morning.
Multiple law enforcement agencies working together arrested four suspects in an attempted armed robbery at the Iberia Bank in Apopka around 11 AM. The four subjects were apprehended before entering the bank, and are suspected of robbing multiple banks in Central Florida.
"This has been a collaborative effort between the FBI, FDLE, OCSO, and the Apopka Police Department," said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings. "We have been working together for several weeks regarding this investigation."
Demings also released the names of the suspects.
The four subjects were apprehended before entering Iberia Bank in Apopka.
Arrested were:
Walter Lee Jones (born in 1978)
Coryell Robinson (born in 1987)
Tariq Cherry (born in 1997)
Lamarcus Harvey (born in 1977)
No other details were released about the suspects, who are currently being interviewed at OCSO Central Operations, and then will be transferred to the US Marshals custody later today.
"I think this is a great opportunity to show the example of the great partnership with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies," said APD Chief Michael McKinley. The Orange County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, FBI... we all worked together to make sure no injuries happened to anyone and everything went very well. It's a great arrest for our community to get these dangerous individuals off the streets."
Iberia Bank is located at 1420 West Orange Blossom Trail.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings: "These individuals are suspected of being involved in multiple bank robberies throughout Central Florida."