A suspect has been arrested in a Friday, February 24 bank robbery investigation in La Crosse.
La Porte County Sheriff’s Department officers say a Caucasian male subject entered the 1st Source Bank in La Crosse just before 3 p.m. CT. The man reportedly verbalized specific instructions to the employee, and after a brief exchange, the man exited the bank with an undisclosed amount of money. He fled the bank on foot.
According to police, after the man fled the bank on foot, he later entered a white or silver passenger vehicle that had been parked on North Zabeth Street near West Dominic Street.
Shortly after the incident, an investigation was launched by members of the Criminal Investigations Division, along with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Detectives processed leads and developed a suspect, according to the report.
As a result of the investigation, 64-year-old Charles R. Rootes Jr., was taken into custody by police in Michigan City. He was been formally charged with robbery as a Level 5 Felony. He is being housed in the La Porte County Jail on a $15,000 cash-only bond through the La Porte Circuit Court.
Suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
