Ormond Beach, FL - Local authorities believe they have caught the suspect behind at least three bank robberies in the past two weeks.
Around 1:30 this afternoon (November 26th), an unknown male suspect approached a teller at a SunTrust Bank branch off of Nova Road near the Trails Shopping Center. That's when he displayed a note demanding money and implying that he was armed.
After receiving money from the teller, the suspect fled from the area.
A search was soon started, spearheaded by the Ormond Beach Police Department along with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Daytona Beach Police K-9 officers and the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
It wouldn't be long until the suspect was stopped on I-95 by an FCSO deputy. The suspect was then identified as 47-year-old Mark Wardell (left). The money from SunTrust was also recovered.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly says Wardell was a passenger in that vehicle. The driver - 46-year-old Tina Heinrichs (right) - is also now in custody, charged with driving with a suspended license.
"As soon as we were made aware of the bank robbery and BOLO from Ormond Beach, our units utilized intelligence-led policing tactics to begin the search for him," Staly added. "It was like finding a needle in a haystack, but our deputies did a great job in locating him and the vehicle he was in and taking him into custody without anyone getting hurt. We’re glad to assist our neighboring agencies in taking this serial bank robber off the streets."
Wardell is the prime suspect in the Florida Community Bank robbery that occurred about two weeks ago in Ormond Beach and the robbery at the Wells Fargo Bank in Port Orange the day before Thanksgiving.
He's also believed to be behind several other bank robberies outside of the area, including in Jacksonville and St. Johns County.
