Homeowner approached by bank robbery suspect just after crime

SARASOTA (FOX 13) - The guy police say robbed a bank in Sarasota Wednesday had a much different approach just hours earlier.

When the man walked up to Anthony Desantas at his garage on Indianwood Way, he seemed like he needed a little help.

"He was telling me his car broke down. I'm a mechanic, I wanted to help him out," he said.

But Desantas soon realized something strange.

"He was kind of agitated you could tell he was trying to get away from something but he wasn't looking to hurt nobody, he was scared," he said.

As the seconds went by it became obvious.

"We started hearing sirens he was starting to get a little more nervous," said Desantas.

When the Sarasota County Deputies showed up he knew something had happened.

"He put his hands up against this car. Officers came up arrested him with no issues," he recalled.

Turns out the man who came to Desantas for help had robbed a bank a quarter of a mile away.
The suspect was already on the run by the time deputies got to the Florida Central Credit Union off of Cattleman Road just before 2.

"The suspect fled this way. Entered the fence over there and was possibly trying to hide in that homeowner's shed. Again something may have startled him," said Kaitlyn Perez with the Sheriff's Office.

Prior to his run in with Desantas deputies said the suspect tried hiding in a storage shed across the street, but the owner scared him away with a few warning shots.

"He wasn't aiming to shot nobody. It was more or like just get out of my yard," said Desantas.

Surprisingly enough Desantas said the bank robber had a softer side.

"He actually apologized for having to drag us into the situation. I gave him a bottled water," he said.

In a way he feels bad for the man.

"He seemed like a nice guy just some situations lead you to do crazy things," said Desantas.