The Wachovia bank located on the corner of 10th Street and High Street was robbed Tuesday afternoon. The alleged accomplice in the robbery was arrested last night while his partner, the primary perpetrator of the crime, remains a fugitive, according to Charlottesville Police Lt. J.W. Gibson.
The robber entered the bank at 2:30 p.m. and used a handgun to hold up one of the tellers.
An undisclosed amount of money was taken. Police declined to comment on the specifics of the crime.
"We can not comment on how much money was taken," Gibson said. "We never comment on the loss."
Wachovia uses red dye to catch bank robbers by placing it in the "loot pack" the teller gives to a bandit in case of an attempted robbery. Police say the dye aided them in locating Banks.
"The dye was a part of it," said Gibson. "It explodes; it's a dye pack, a part of the loot that they took. Some bills [have circulated] with red dye on them."
No injuries were reported after the incident. The robber merely brandished his weapon as he entered the bank.
Though the robber has not been apprehended, the bank's security cameras videotaped him during the robbery.
Police identified the alleged robber, who remains at large, as Ricardo T. Lee. Police declined to comment on how they made a successful identification.
Lee is described as a 48-year-old African-American male, 5'8" to 5'10" and about 170 lbs. He was said to be wearing a green coat and a red or orange stocking cap.
Gibson said Lee has a criminal history.
"He's pulled some time on robberies before," he said. "He is still considered armed and dangerous."
The police have released a picture of Lee in order to aid in his capture.
The FBI, which is involved in all robbery investigations, is working with Charlottesville police to locate Lee.
Banks, Lee's alleged accomplice, drove the get-away vehicle, which was parked a few blocks away. The automobile was described as silver or gray with four doors. Lee and Banks allegedly fled the scene before police arrived.
Troy Banks was arrested last night. He is 32 years old and a resident of Dillwyn in Buckingham County.
The police initially detained two men driving in a vehicle similar to the one the robbers used to escape. The men were released after the police discovered they were unrelated to the crime.
Wachovia officials say they were prepared for the robbery. They train their employees to deal with emergencies such as robberies.
"We have a pretty extensive training process in terms of what to do in emergencies," Wachovia Spokesperson Sarah Holden said.
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