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Police say bank robbery suspect used plastic toy gun

Robert C. Reed

Members of the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office searched for a suspect in Wednesday morning’s robbery of First Citizens Bank in Bethlehem. Here, Lt. Doug Bowman (right), and Capt. Keith Warren of the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office return from searching for the suspect on Davis Cove Road. Taylorsville resident James Allen Salmons was later arrested.

DEJA VU

Similarities between Wednesday’s robbery and one Jan. 27

• Same bank robbed

• Bank robbed near 11 a.m.

• Bank robbed during a light rain

• Robber drove away eastbound on Rink Dam Road

• Robber wore a mask made from gray sweat pants

• Robber’s used a silver Dodge Caravan with no license plates as a getaway vehicle

By Richard Gould | Hickory Daily Record

Published: May 7, 2009

BETHLEHEM - The gun may have been a toy but the armed robbery charges are real.

A man wearing a mask made from a sweat pants leg and brandishing a plastic toy gun robbed the First Citizens Bank in Bethlehem at about 11 a.m. Wednesday. By 4 p.m., Alexander County sheriff's deputies had arrested James Allen Salmons, 44, of Taylorsville and charged him with two counts of armed robbery.

The gun was a plastic toy but it looked real, said Chief Deputy Chris Bowman of the Alexander County Sheriff's Office, adding that it doesn't matter if the gun used in a robbery is real or not — the charge is armed robbery either way.

The suspect walked into the bank wearing his tubular mask, ordered a teller to fill his plastic Lowes Foods sack with cash, and got away with an undisclosed amount of money.

Witnesses said the dye pack in the money exploded inside the van he used to make his getaway, said Alexander County Sheriff's Capt. Keith Warren.

The bank robber was seen leaving the bank driving eastbound on Rink Dam Road and a person followed him to Davis Cove Road, where the van eluded the follower, said Detective Mark St. Clair of the Alexander County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office and Highway Patrol set up a perimeter and searched for the suspect's getaway vehicle: a late model silver Dodge Caravan with no license plate.

A tip from a concerned citizen led detectives to Salmons' home on Teague Town Road, where they found a van matching the description of the getaway vehicle with residue in it from the reddish-orange dye pack that had exploded inside, Bowman said.

Salmons was charged with two counts of armed robbery and is being held in the Alexander County jail on $500,000 secure bond. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday.

The charges stem from Wednesday's robbery, as well as a Jan. 27 robbery of the same bank.

Chief Deputy Chris Bowman of the Alexander County Sheriff's Office said he believes Salmons is the man who was spotted driving into the First Citizen's Bank parking a week ago. That man was spotted by bank employees and fled when they locked the doors and called the police.

Bowman said Salmons has not been charged in that incident, but the investigation is ongoing and more charges may be forthcoming.