A man from Florida was filmed buying a face mask at a gas station before crossing the street to rob a bank, police said.
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, 33-year-old Colton Vanhonhenstein attempted – and failed – to rob a bank after purchasing a face mask to conceal his identity on Saturday, June 15.
Law enforcement said the Florida man was caught on security camera purchasing the mask before heading to a store. Wells Fargo Bank branch across the street.
Police said the bank was closed, but left open, at the time of the attempted burglary.
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A Florida man was arrested after attempting to rob an unlocked bank Saturday evening. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office)
Vanhonhenstein would have entered the bank, but would not have gone very far.
Deputies say Wells Fargo Bank alarm security system was notified the sheriff’s office of a “bank robbery in progress”.
The alarm system also alerted law enforcement that the intruder was masked, police said.
Colton Vanhonhenstein, 33, was caught on surveillance video at a gas station purchasing a mask around 7 p.m., according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office)
By the time the deputies arrived, the suspect was already gone.
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The alarm company later confirmed there was a delay in the system and did not notify the sheriff’s office for at least an hour, police said.
Colton Vanhonhenstein’s car at the gas station before an attempted robbery at a local Wells Fargo branch. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office)
Thanks to security footage, Vanhonhenstein was then found and arrested.
“He was charged with burglary when the only thing he was walking with was the mask, which cost him five dollars,” officials said.
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Deputies are investigating why the bank’s doors were left open and why the alarm monitoring company was slow to respond.
