BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Bellingham Police were dispatched to a bank branch in the 1500 block of Cornwall Avenue about 10:35am on October 21st due to a report of a bank robbery.
According to an affidavit of probable cause for arrest submitted in Whatcom County Superior Court by prosecutors, officers were told a male had entered the branch and announced, “This is a bank robbery.” Employees immediately activated silent alarms and called 911. The man instructed a teller to make a photocopy of his identification.
A customer yelled at the man to get out of the branch and he left without getting any money.
Officers located and detained a man matching the would-be robber’s description a few blocks away.
The man was identified as Mark David Gotcher, age 65, and now faces a 1st degree robbery charge in Superior Court. As of October 26th, he remained in custody pending being able to post a $10,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned November 4th.