An accused bank robber’s run from the law has come to an end after he was arrested on charges unrelated to the mid-August robbery.
Federal prosecutors charged Anchorage resident James Donald Surrells, 43, with robbing a National Bank of Alaska branch, located at 5305 E. Northern Lights Blvd., on Aug. 13.
Surrells was wearing a wig underneath his hat, appeared to have dirt smeared on his face and was armed with a gun when he stole $1,210 from a teller, according to a witness account and surveillance footage detailed in a sworn affidavit. The Anchorage Police Department and FBI agents responded to the robbery, but weren’t able to track down the man at the time.
According to a teller interviewed by APD, a man had approached her window and showed the woman a note that said: “I have a gun. Give me 100′s, 50′s, and 20′s.” As she leaned forward to read the threat, he flashed his gun at her, concealed inside his coat. She told an officer she handed over $1,000 in cash, the affidavit says.
After snagging the cash, Surrells ran to a nearby Value Village that shares a parking lot with the bank. Officers searched a dumpster behind the thrift store and found a wig and a hat that looked similar to the clothing the bank robber had worn, according to the affidavit.
On Aug. 16, Surrells was arrested by Alaska State Troopers after they discovered him with a stolen van in Wasilla. Troopers say he also gave them false information about his identity and had drugs on him. Surrells had two warrants for escape from a correctional facility at the time.
That same day, a person who said they have known Surrells for decades called the FBI and identified him as the bank robber. Agents used Surrells’ driver’s license and booking photos to compare them to the bank robbery surveillance photos. From the comparison, authorities believe Surrells is the man who robbed the bank, the affidavit says.