Aggressive bank robbery suspect busted in Centennial

Discover the resources upon which law enforcement agencies relied to capture the accused agile bank robber …

This man, his image caught by a bank security camera, is accused of robbing an outer East Portland bank by vaulting over the counter and running out the door. PPB provided image

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

As employees were about to close for the evening the Centennial neighborhood U.S. Bank branch at 16002 Southeast Division Street, on Wednesday, February 1, they were confronted by man who dashed in to make an unauthorized withdrawal.

“The suspect entered the bank and jumped over the counter,” recounted Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Sgt. Chris Burley. “After obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash, the suspect left the bank without further incident.”

The first of dozens of police units roll into the neighborhood.

At 6:02 p.m., Portland Police East Precinct, the Gang Enforcement Team, and the Transit Division and Gresham Police were alerted to the robbery, and flooded into the area.

A witness to the robbery saw the suspect leave the area in a vehicle, Burley said. “Through the assistance of the witness and bank employees, officers were able to locate the suspect’s vehicle, and officers attempted to perform a traffic stop, but the driver failed to stop.

Police begin their investigation at the bank. Image courtesy KPTV

“Officers initiated a pursuit; but after a short time, the suspect exited his vehicle and fled on foot,” Burley said.

According to neighbors, the foot pursuit began near Parklane Park, a large, partially-developed park in the neighborhood west of SE 162nd Avenue, near Main Street.

As many as 37 police units brought in about 50 officers to fan out across the area.

A police dog is brought to the scene to search for the suspect by smell.

With the help of a police Canine Team, the suspect was found hiding in a large parked pickup truck’s bed about two blocks east of the park, in the 16000 block of Southeast Taylor Street. Officers and the dog took 37-year-old Cody Joe Jonas into custody.

Being held on Federal bank robbery charges is 37-year-old Cody Joe Jonas. MCDC booking photo

Jonas was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center at 11:59 p.m. that evening – where he is currently held without bound on a U.S. Marshals “hold”. Bank robbery is a federal crime.

© 2017 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

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