UPDATE: APD arrests suspect in Oct. 23 bank robbery and Oct. 25 Bojangles robbery

Press release

from Asheville Police Department

A crime spree has ended spanning three states and at least 10 armed robberies.  35 year old Rocky Johnson of Johnson City, Tennessee has been arrested in Hickory, North Carolina.  Asheville Police Department Investigators transported Johnson back to Asheville and charged him with robbing the First Citizens Bank located at 975 Smoky Park Highway on 10/23/2012.  He is also charged with armed robbery and 7 counts of 2nd degree kidnapping for the Bojangles hold up on 10/25/2012 in Oteen.

50 year old William Laws of Elizabethton, Tennessee is charged with aiding and abetting armed robbery for the First Citizens Bank robbery.  Laws is currently hospitalized in Hickory.  He will be transported back to Asheville as soon as his condition improves.

They are also wanted in connection to several more armed robberies in South Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.

Original press release:

The Asheville Police Department received a report [Oct. 23] at 2:20 PM of a bank robbery at First Citizens Bank located at 975 Smoky Park Highway.  The suspect is described as a clean cut, white male, 5’10” with a medium build.  He was wearing sunglasses, a grey hooded sweatshirt and black baggie pants.  He was last seen getting into an older model, olive green, full size SUV.  Witnesses stated he was traveling east on Smoky Park Highway.  No one was injured during the robbery.

One photo of the suspect is available at this time.  Additional photographs will be distributed as soon as possible.   

Anyone with information as to the identity of the bank robber is asked to contact the Asheville Police Department at 828-252-1110 or Asheville Buncombe Crime Stoppers at 828-255-5050.  The case number is 12-029722.

UPDATE from APD

The Asheville Police Department has released additional photos of the suspect from the bank robbery at 975 Smoky Park Highway reported on 10/23/2012.  The suspect vehicle, a 1980’s model Chevy K-5 Blazer is also included.  This individual is also wanted for questioning in a series of recent armed robberies in Greenville-Spartanburg-Chester South Carolina and Johnson City-Bristol-Kingsport Tennessee.  Although he did not display a weapon in the Asheville robbery, he has shown a handgun in the previous hold-ups.  He should be considered armed and dangerous.  A second unknown white male suspect has been driving the vehicle on some of these incidents out of state.