The FBI said they are holding Anton Alexander, 35, of Pendleton, Ind., and Anthony Phillips, 43, of Fort Wayne, Ind., in anticipation of charging them with bank robbery, carrying firearms and using firearms in commission of a felony, in the attempted robbery of the Fifth Third Bank, 795 N. Main St.
The two were taken to the Hamilton County Jail in Cincinnati on Friday night. They are expected to be arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati.
A suspected getaway car, rented in Indiana, was recovered on a residential street west of the bank, authorities said.
Friday night, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Tim Ferguson said, “I’m not going to comment about that” when asked about the possible third suspect.
The bank probably will not open this weekend because of the damage the suspects caused, Ferguson said.
Authorities even called in the Dayton Bomb Squad as a precaution.
“The main thing is that we want to secure the safety of the patrons when they return to the bank,” Ferguson said, “so if there’s any evidence that’s left in the bank, we want to make sure we recover it.”
The bomb squad was called in, he said, “to make sure there’s no evidence left inside the walls, in between the walls. They have X-ray equipment that they have graciously allowed us to utilize.”
Alexander and Phillips surrendered outside the bank at 1:22 p.m. Friday, while FBI agents, police from five police departments and the Ohio Highway Patrol, and dozens of curious onlookers watched.
Officers from Springboro, Clearcreek Twp. and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Miami Twp., north of the crime scene in Montgomery County, surrounded the bank at 795 N. Main St., closed the road and evacuated nearby businesses after reports of a hostage being taken in a robbery attempt at 8:40 a.m.
The bank manager, who officials declined to identify, was forced inside the bank by the robbers, who had been hiding in bushes near the door. He escaped, apparently aided by confusion sparked when police quickly arrived in response to a 911 call from other bank workers watching nearby.
“He believes at least one round was fired at him. He escaped through the back door of the bank,” said Special Agent Edward Hanko in charge of the FBI office in Cincinnati.
Bank officials declined to comment on training or security. “We’re just pleased that our employees were not physically harmed,” said Jeff Kursman, vice president of Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati.
The bank remained closed Friday afternoon while FBI technicians combed the building for evidence, including guns allegedly used in the crime. But other offices and businesses evacuated or locked down during the standoff reopened.
Police cordoned off the area and closed Main Street between Ohio 73 and Austin Boulevard. Onlookers were warned of the danger, but allowed to watch from across the street.
Snipers were set up outside the bank and the SWAT team was deployed .
A suspected getaway car, rented in Indiana, was recovered on a residential street beyond a tree line west of the bank.
Maj. John DiPietro of the Miami Twp. Police Department, who served as public information officer during the standoff, suggested the arrests could help solve other robberies “all over the Tri-State area.”
News Center 7 contributed to this report.