Brinks Driver Released From Hospital; Search For Robber Ongoing

BRANDON, FL — The driver of a Brinks armored truck has been released from Tampa General Hospital after being shot twice by an armed robber Friday, Dec. 6. However, the bystander who came to his aid remains hospitalized after being shot by the robber as well.

On Saturday, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister visited the man who is only being identified as "the Good Samaritan." Following surgery for a gunshot wound to his lower torso, the Good Samaritan is now recovering.

Chronister said the Good Samaritan has asked not to be identified but allowed the sheriff's office to release a bit of information about him.

He is a retired Hillsborough County employee who lives in Brandon. He was sitting in his car in the parking of the GTE Financial at 101 E. Bloomingdale Ave., Brandon, waiting for his wife to come out of the credit union when he saw the Brinks driver struggling with the armed robber at the ATM in front of the credit union around 11:45 a.m.

The Brinks driver was replenishing money in the ATM when the robber approached him from behind. They began to struggle and the robber fired at the driver several times. One bullet struck the driver's back but didn't penetrate his protective vest. Another bullet hit his lower torso. The Brinks driver was alone and did not fire his weapon.

"His ballistic vest saved him," said Chronister.

The Good Samaritan told Chronister he didn't think twice about rushing in to help the driver although he was not armed.

"He said if he had to do it all over again, he would," said Chronister, calling him a hero.“We are thankful for the bravery of this Good Samaritan. His actions saved the life of the Brinks truck driver."

The sheriff's office said the forensics lab is going over the getaway car used by the robber with a fine-toothed comb in the hopes of finding DNA and other clues that will lead to the robber's identity.

“Finding this suspect is one of my top priorities," Chronister said. "We are still actively working this investigation in coordination with the FBI.”

Chronister said the would-be robber, a black man with dreadlocks, matches the description and uses the same methods as a man who has robbed other credit unions throughout Tampa Bay in recent months.

"It's obvious this suspect has become much more brazen," said Chronister. "He's elevated his degree of violence."

Chronister said he should be considered armed and dangerous.

A black man with dreadlocks who is 6 feet 1 inch to 6 feet 2 inches tall robbed the Mid-Florida Credit Union, 825 W. Brandon Blvd. in Brandon, Oct. 22 and the Suncoast Credit Union, 3234 S. Miller Road in Valrico, Aug. 27.

A man matching the same description also robbed three other Mid-Florida Credit Union branches -- on Waters Avenue Feb. 22, on Park Boulevard in Pinellas Park June 19 and on U.S. 19 in Clearwater Oct. 9.

The FBI believes he is also responsible for two carjackings that took place Aug. 26 and Nov. 4 at Betty's Coin Laundry on 4th Street North in St. Petersburg.

At one point following the shootings on Friday, the FBI and sheriff's office was sure an arrest was imminent.

Security footage from GTE Financial showed the robber fleeing the credit union in a stolen car. Out of precaution, the Hillsborough County School District placed 14 Brandon and Valrico schools on lock-in status while the manhunt was ensued.

The getaway car was quickly tracked to the Bridgeport Apartments complex off Kings Avenue south of the J.C. Handly Sports Complex and Kingswood Elementary School, about a mile away from the credit union.

The sheriff's SWAT team, helicopter and bomb squad cordoned off the area and evacuated the residents from an eight-unit apartment building in the 3100 block of Buck Run Drive where the getaway car was parked as well as surrounding apartment buildings.

A sheriff's scent K9 indicated that the robber was inside the building.

But after five hours of attempting to contact the robber by phone and bull horn in the hopes of convincing him to surrender, and receiving no response, the SWAT team obtained keys to all eight apartment units and sent a robot outfitted with video cameras into them.

"We felt comfortable that the suspect was in this apartment building," said Chronister. "We were all surprised he wasn't in those apartments when we sent the robot in."

Chronister can only guess that the robber had a getaway car waiting for him at the apartment complex and was gone before law enforcement arrived.

After waiting hours, Chronister gave the OK to allow residents of Bridgewater Apartments to return to their homes around 6 p.m.

"I do feel comfortable that he is not here. There is no public safety threat to the residents," said Chronister during a press conference Friday night in which he reassured concerned residents at the apartment complex. He also placed patrols at the apartments throughout the night and the next day in case the robber returned.

Because the robber has demonstrated a willingness to resort to violence against anyone who gets in his way, Chronister said he and the FBI have an intensified search underway.

"We will make it a priority until we put this individual behind bars where he belongs," he said.

Anyone who recognizes the robber or has any information on the robberies is urged to contact the sheriff's office at 813-247-8200 or Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477) to be eligible for a cash reward.