Man accused of robbing metro bank arrested after leaving name on bus ticket
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A man accused of robbing an Oklahoma City bank last week has been arrested in California after leaving behind evidence that helped authorities identify him.
The robbery happened at the Chase Bank location off of Northwest 23rd Street and Western Avenue December 12.
According to police, Carlton Stevens entered the bank less than an hour before closing with a note written on a greyhound bus ticket.
The note stated the following: "The Minden Lotto Tolled me to do This, so give me all the money you Can. Thanks- I'm not sure If this Is Right OR Rong. So an the money you can money you can hand ME thanks. By The Way, My Name IS CaRlton R.J. Stevens."
Court papers say the ticket was purchased December 10 and routed from the Memphis Bus Station to Oklahoma City. The bus ticket indicated Stevens would leave Oklahoma City on December 11 to head to Los Angeles, but he was not on the bus.
The teller gave Stevens a little over $3,000 from her till, and police say he left a thank you card that had his daughter's full name and other names written on it.
Through police records, investigators confirmed the woman was Stevens' daughter and surveillance video matched the description from his California state identification.
"I think I'd put a little bit more planning into it if I was actually going to attempt something like that," said Robert Jackson, who lives across the street from the bank.
Jackson told News 4 his father was a former robbery homicide detective, so very little surprises him, but even he admitted the amount of alleged blunders Stevens is accused of making is staggering.
"I think I'd put a little bit more planning into it if I was actually going to attempt something like that," said Jackson. "It's easy to make a mistake."
Court papers say after Stevens allegedly robbed the bank, he went to a gas station located a mile away and was caught on camera buying packs of cigarettes and a beer. After that, documents say Stevens hopped on a bus, got off at another stop and caught another bus to the downtown EMBARK station.
From the bus station, Stevens got on another bus, walked to a Greyhound bus station and sat under nearby trees. Once the sun went down, documents say the cameras could not see what Stevens had done after that point.
Investigators searched Stevens' social media and found a photo with his signature and handwriting. They both matched the note and card left for the bank teller. Both signatures included Stevens' middle initials.
News 4 reached out to Oklahoma City police for an update Tuesday after police shared a call for the public to help find Stevens December 13.
Police shared Tuesday that Stevens had been arrested in California but could not say when the arrest took place, or what agency made it.
It's unclear when he'll be brought back to Oklahoma to face potential charges.