2 arrested after two bank robberies in Gastonia

GASTONIA, N.C. (WBTV) - Two suspects have been arrested after two bank robberies in Gastonia Thursday.

Gastonia Police say the incident happened between the hours of 9-11 a.m. Officers were investigating two bank robberies. The first one happened at 9:15 a.m. on East Franklin Boulevard. The second one happened at 10:35 a.m. on Union Road.

Around 11 a.m., police said the suspect in the bank robbery on Union Road has been located and is in custody. A gun was recovered.

On Friday, police said detectives charged 57-year-old Jean Pierre Gendron for the robbery of a Wells Fargo bank on East Franklin Boulevard that happened Thursday morning in downtown Gastonia.  Gendron has also been charged with the larceny of a motor vehicle related to this robbery.

The investigation by detectives determined that the suspect approached a teller and passed a note which implied that he was armed.  The suspect obtained an undisclosed amount of currency from the bank and fled.

During the investigation, detectives identified Gendron as the suspect who committed the bank robbery.  Detectives also determined that after the robbery, Gendron fled the area in a vehicle that he had previously stolen.

Investigators obtain a warrant for Gendron charging him with robbery and larceny of a motor vehicle. At approximately 12:30 p.m. Friday, Gendron was arrested in Charlotte as he was attempting to leave the area.

“The Gastonia Police Department thanks the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina Probation and Parole, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their assistance in this investigation,” a press release read.

No injuries were reported in either robbery.

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