BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Bellingham Police Department (BPD) personnel were dispatched about 10:15am on Saturday, September 24th, to a bank in 1200 block of N State Street due to a report of an armed robbery.
BPD Lieutenant Claudia Murphy told Whatcom News via email that officers were sent to the bank branch due to a report that it had just been robbed by a male. Responding officers were told “a white male, in his 40-50s, balding, thin, and wearing a long gray overcoat walked into the bank and handed one of the employees a note.” The note warned that the suspect had “a loaded gun and will shoot you” if a specific amount of cash was not given to him. The employee handed the cash over. The suspect left the bank on foot with the cash.
Murphy said bank employees recognized the man as a person who has come into the bank frequently, as recently as yesterday, and were able to provide a name to investigating officers. A photo of the suspect was broadcast to patrol officers and by 10:54am, the suspect was seen walking on W Illinois Street near Vallette Street. He was taken into custody without incident and all but $100 of the cash was found on him. It appeared he had lost a $100 bill as he walked from the bank robbery according to Murphy.
Prior to the robbery, officers responded to Whatcom County Jail, due to a report that a man was there saying he wanted to talk to a police officer before robbing a bank. Jail staff called 911 and as officers were enroute, he got agitated, left, walked to the bank and committed the robbery.
According to jail records, Isaiah Ezekiel Eraut, age 50, was arrested by Bellingham Police and booked into Whatcom County Jail shortly after 11am charged with suspicion of 1st degree armed robbery.