A man suspected of robbing a bank in West Hazleton Tuesday afternoon and wanted for another bank robbery last week is now in police custody.
Police arrested Shawn Kelley, 33, of Hazleton late Tuesday afternoon shortly after Citizens Bank on West Broad Street in West Hazleton was robbed.
The police chief said about 4 p.m. a man handed the teller a note stating he had a gun, but no gun was shown.
Earlier Tuesday state police issued an arrest warrant for Kelley for robbing the PNC Bank on Route 93 last Monday in Hazleton Township.
Police said they found Kelley by tracking his cell phone to a restaurant.
“He saw the police car and fled and was fleeing through the neighborhood yards and a short time later he was apprehended at Twenty-first and Locust streets,” said West Hazleton Police Chief Brian Buglio.
According to investigators, Kelley got away with more than $1,400 in Tuesday’s robbery and nearly $4,000 in last week’s robbery.
Chief Buglio said Kelley has committed crimes up and down the east coast.
He is also suspected of robbing the Choice One Community Credit Union on North Sherman Court in Hazleton early Friday evening.
Kelley is in the Luzerne County jail on $500,000 bail.
