CITY-WIDE SURVEILLANCE NET
CATCHES BANK ROBBERY SUSPECT

A 34-year-old man detectives believe robbed several banks in recent weeks was caught this afternoon in an expansive Clearwater Police surveillance dragnet implemented specifically to locate and capture the bandit.

The man, a sometime Clearwater resident who has relatives living in the area, was caught after he was seen apparently "casing" a bank in preparation to rob it.

JON ALLAN BROWN (07-26-22) was captured as he tried to elude a plainclothes detective who had followed Brown from a bank's parking lot.

According to Case Agent Detective Chris Housholder, more than 30 Criminal Investigations detectives were stationed at banks across Clearwater Thursday, watching the area and looking for Brown. Detectives had developed information that led to the identification of Brown as the man who robbed several banks in recent weeks, and detectives had his photograph.

Shortly after 1 p.m. Detective Sergeant Doug Barry saw a man acting suspiciously at the AmSouth Bank on South Belcher Road. The man – a floppy white hat pulled low on his forehead – left the bank without entering, and drove away in a brown pickup truck, heading south on Belcher Road.

Sergeant Barry, his suspicions aroused by the man's manner and other circumstances, followed the truck and radioed to other detectives his suspicions and location.

As the other detectives and Patrol officers moved toward his location, Sergeant Barry followed the truck to a Logan Drive business parking lot. When Sergeant Barry drove to a position to see the parked truck, he realized the driver was out of the vehicle and walking back toward Belcher Road.

It was at this time that Sergeant Barry, in plain clothes and driving an unmarked car, identified the man as being Brown. The men were now close enough to exchange an eye-to-eye glance, and moments later Sergeant Barry radioed other officers that the suspect had been located.

Brown walked quickly back to the truck, but when he tried to leave the parking lot he was arrested by Sergeant Barry.

As they canvassed the area Brown had walked across, detectives found a hand-written communication – similar to notes used in the previous bank robberies – that indicated Brown was preparing to commit a bank robbery Thursday afternoon.

Other robberies believed committed by Brown include the armed robbery of a person outside a bank on October 20; the armed robbery of a Colonial Bank on October 21; the armed robbery of a Republic Bank on October 31; and the November 4 robbery of an AmSouth Bank.

Brown is being interviewed by Criminal Investigations detectives as of the time of this release, but he is expected to be charged with robbery later this evening. Once he is charged, he will be booked into the Pinellas County Jail where details will be available.

For additional information regarding this arrest, please contact Public Information Officer Wayne Shelor at 727-562-4333.

/s/
SID KLEIN
Chief of Police