A suspect involved in a midday bank robbery was in custody in little over an hour after the crime occurred Wednesday.
Sherry J. Cowart, 49, of Jamestown was charged with third-degree robbery and was arraigned in Jamestown City Court on Thursday morning.
Jamestown police officers responded to the scene at the Lake Shore Savings Bank, 115 E. Fourth St., after a teller pressed the emergency panic alarm, said Capt. Robert Samuelson of the Jamestown Police Department.
Once officers received a description of the woman, and were able to access surveillance footage, a positive identification was obtained.
"Once we saw the video, we knew who it was," said Samuelson.
After Cowart was identified, officers were sent to her home to search for her, and she was found shortly thereafter on West Fourth Street with some of the cash from the robbery.
She had fled the scene on foot, after demanding money from the teller and threatening that she had a weapon. No weapon was displayed in the act and no injuries were reported.
From the time of the crime, to the time Cowart was in custody, Samuelson said only an hour and 10 minutes had passed. After obtaining the security camera footage and a positive identification, Cowart was taken into custody 20 minutes later. He said the response was attributed to positively identifying Cowart quickly.
"We are very please this was able to come together as quick as it was," he said.
