Suspect arrested for robbery of First Community Bank

DAPHNE, Ala. (WALA) - Running on empty. It’s what police say helped nab a bank robber in less than half-an-hour in Daphne.

The First Community Bank, tucked between doctors' offices in Daphne, was the site of a Monday afternoon robbery.

Lt. Jud Beedy with Daphne Police said, “He presented the teller with a note demanding money. The teller was in shock, and actually questioned him about it and then he patted his jacket like he was armed so she turned over the money to him and he exited the store.”

Running on empty

In less than 30 minutes, police arrested 26 year-old David Wells. He hadn’t made it very far, because police say he made a crucial mistake after the robbery. He was running on empty and had to stop to gas up.

Police said Wells spent $10 of the stolen money on fuel at a Spanish Fort gas station, before continuing down the causeway. With police closing in, he pulled over near a boat ramp and lay down in the back of his truck.

“I think he was trying to hide in plain site, if that makes sense,” Beedy said. “He wasn’t going at high rates of speed. he was just trying to blend in with the surroundings, but that wasn’t going to fool the guys that were out there yesterday afternoon. They did a great job.”

'Tired of being unemployed'

When police questioned Well,s they said he confessed and gave a motive for the robbery.

“He said he was just tired of being unemployed,” Beedy told us.

Now, he’s gone from unemployed to the Baldwin County jail with federal charges. Bank robbery is a federal crime that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.