A Newnan couple has been arrested
for the Tuesday afternoon robbery of the Bank of Coweta's Senoia
branch, police said.
Jason and Mary Stephens worked
together in the robbery, according to Sgt. John Lewis of the Coweta County
Sheriff's Department. Jason Stephens, 30, entered the bank, produced
a bag and asked for it to be filled with cash, although he never displayed
a weapon, Lewis said. He wore a black hat with a blond wig and artificial
facial hair in an attempt to disguise his identity, Lewis said.
"He looked like he was
dressed up for Halloween," Lewis noted.
After exiting the bank, Jason
Stephens left in a grey colored vehicle with a paper drive-out tag from
an auto dealer and met up with his wife, Mary, 22, giving her the bag
of money and some clothing he wore as a disguise, asking her to dispose
of them, Lewis said.
After the exchange, Cpl. Donna
Sheain of the sheriff's department spotted Jason Stephens' vehicle
on Gordon Road heading toward Newnan and initiated a traffic stop, leading
to his arrest for two outstanding bad check warrants, Lewis said.
Meanwhile, a tip was called
in that Jason Stephens had purchased the getaway vehicle the day before
along with a red Saturn vehicle, and that led officers to Mary Stephens
at the couple's residence, Lewis said. The red Saturn turned out
to be the vehicle Mrs. Stephens drove away from the scene with, Lewis
said, adding that Mrs. Stephens has been cooperative with detectives working
the case.
"It started out as a good
plan but I don't think it worked out for them," Lewis said of
moving the money and other evidence to the second vehicle.
When officers arrived at the
Stephens' residence, they noticed items on fire which turned out
to be the clothing and a gun magazine believed to have been used in the
robbery, Lewis said. Some of the evidence was rescued from the fire, Lewis
said.
Jason Stephens has been charged
with armed robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a
felony and one count of felony theft by taking. Mary Stephens is charged
with being a party to the crime of armed robbery.
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