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Brinks driver attacked, robbed outside East Naples bank
A robber attacked a Brinks armored truck courier and ran off with an undisclosed amount of cash while the armored truck was parked in front of an East Naples bank early Wednesday afternoon.
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Brinks armored car robbery
Collier County Sheriff deputies comb the scene of Brinks armored car robbery in front of Wachovia Bank at the corner of Airport-Pulling Boulevard and Radio Road in Naples on Wednesday afternoon where an undisclosed amount of money was stolen. The robber was described as Hispanic, around 30 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 180 to 200 pounds. He was wearing a red Hanes T-shirt and tan pants, police said, and was driving a gray Mitsubishi.
The robbery occurred just more than two months after a similar attempted robbery of a Brinks truck that was parked in front of a bank off U.S. 41 North in Naples.
Around 12:38 p.m. the Collier County Sheriff’s Office was notified that a Brinks truck courier had been robbed in front of the Wachovia Bank at the intersection of Airport-Pulling and Radio roads. As the courier was unloading the truck, he was hit in the head by a robber, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
The robber fled the scene in a newer-model, gray Mitsubishi, authorities said.
“He hit him in the head, picked up a container and he ran down the driveway,” said Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Brigid O’Malley. “He ran up Radio out to Airport and that’s where the Mitsubishi picked him up.”
The Brinks courier was not seriously injured in the attack, O’Malley said. It was not immediately clear how much money the robber got away with, authorities said.
About a dozen Sheriff’s Office vehicles arrived at the Wachovia Bank, 125 Airport-Pulling Road, shortly after the attack. Sheriff’s Office air, K-9 and patrol units combed the area looking for the suspect, and investigators followed up on a number of leads, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
ERIK KELLAR / Daily News
Collier County Sheriff's deputies work the scene of a robbery of Brinks armored vehicle at the Wachovia Bank branch at 125 Airport-Pulling Road. Erik Kellar/Staff
Monika Gonzalez of East Naples, who was doing business at the bank at the time of the attack, said she saw a man hiding in the bushes when she pulled in. Employees of neighboring businesses, on the other hand, said they didn’t see a thing.
Ron Lucas, the owner of Best Friends Groom and Board on the opposite side of Radio Road, said he didn’t notice anything when the attack was taking place.
“I thought there was an accident because three police cars pulled up,” Lucas said. “Then they put up some yellow tape.”
The robber was wearing a red Hanes T-shirt and tan pants, O’Malley said. He was described as Hispanic, around 30 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 180 to 200 pounds.
Wednesday’s attack comes after a man fired shots at a Brinks employee during a failed robbery in front of the Wachovia Bank branch at 820 Park Shore Drive. After that attack on March 28, Naples police conducted an extensive manhunt for two men who fled in a red Mitsubishi Montero.
Even though neither of the attacks occurred within the two banks, Wachovia is still concerned about the safety of its employees, partners and vendors, said bank spokeswoman Kathy Harrison.
“Our security folks are looking into it and certainly we are cooperating with authorities to not only solve this one but to prevent them in the future,” Harrison said.
Authorities would not say on Wednesday if they believed the two attacks were connected.
“We hope it’s coincidence at this point,” Harrison said.
On Wednesday afternoon investigators talked to neighboring businesses to see if they had surveillance video that may show the robber. Harrison would not say if Wachovia had any surveillance footage.
This is not the first time a Brinks truck was robbed at the Wachovia at the intersection of Airport-Pulling and Radio roads.
Three robbers ambushed a Brinks truck just after noon on Jan. 8, 2003. In that robbery one of the men hid in a restroom and surprised the Brinks employee as he walked out of the bank. A second robber then ran in and the pair stole cash and the Brinks employee’s gun before a third man picked them up in a getaway car.
Eva Alewine, who delivers food for Good Time Diner, a few doors down from the bank, was surprised robbers would even consider targeting any of the businesses in the area.
“There’s too many cops around here,” she said. “We have officers in here all the time.”

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Well, the next question is: What's worse?
Attemping to rob a bank?
Or walking into a bank with your communicable (sp?) disease - TB in tow - and handling checks, cash, t-haaaaaa-alk-hhhhuuuu-ing to the teller (breathing all over her/him), using THE NAKED, UNCLOTHED HAND, disease ridden, to *gasp* open the very same front door handle that YOU are about to use, 30 seconds later?
Hard to say.
At least with the robbery, it's the human's intentions that are in control.
With the TB, it's the "bug"'s intentions to spread, mutate and thrive that are in control.
Blech, yuck, ugh.
Personally, I think the robber was just trying to support his family. No more construction jobs here. Hoped to flip his house and make a buck, but now he's stuck. [especially when he found out the Flip This House show was a fraud!] and had to do SOMETHING to pay the insurance company.
He didn't know what to do until he called his insurance carrier and said, "I can't pay! What can I do?"
And the insurance agent replied?
"I don't care. Go rob a bank or something."
Ken of http://free.naplesplus.us - the only County-wide Community server.
#1 Posted by simplify3 on June 7, 2007 at 7:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
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