On today’s date the Frederick Police Department received a call for an armed bank robbery that just occurred at 1305 W 7th St Capital One branch. Officers arrived and secured the location to preserve evidence and interview witnesses.
Further investigation revealed a single suspect entered the bank dressed in a white or grey coat with a tan hooded sweatshirt underneath, dark pants, and a black mask covering his face. The suspect presented a handgun and ordered the bank manager to allow him access to the safe. When the suspect was informed access could not be granted due to security measures, he went behind the counter and removed currency from a teller’s drawer. The suspect then left the bank and entered a black pickup truck he had parked outside. A witness was able to provide a partial tag and description of the out of state plate. No one was injured during the robbery.
Patrol officers were provided all of the above information; Cpl Angela Nibert located a vehicle matching the description bearing NY state tags parked behind the Giant Eagle. A track was conducted by Ofc Michael Weaver and his K9 partner Bady. The track netted discarded clothing worn by the suspect in the robbery inside a construction storage area adjacent to the vehicle. While continuing the search of the area Detective/ Cpl Tomas Tokarz located a male matching the description of the suspect and found he was the renter of the suspect vehicle. The male, identified as Ashref Adii Bannaga of Gaithersburg, Md, was detained for investigative purposes and transported to the Frederick Police Department for questioning. Based on evidence and information obtained during the investigation Bannaga was later placed under arrest and will be transported to the Frederick Adult detention Center for processing. A thorough search of the construction site was conducted and the money taken during the robbery recovered and the gun used by the suspect were both recovered.
Chief Kim Dine said “I am very proud of the work by our officers in the Patrol Division and the Detectives and Crime Scene Technicians in the Criminal Investigation Division. Their hard work, diligent efforts, and tenacity resulted in the arrest of dangerous criminal and recovery of the stolen money. These officers did outstanding work in this case to bring it to a quick closure.”
A photo of the arrestee is not available at this time.