GPS In Wad Of Cash Leads Arvada Cops To Alleged Bank Robber

ARVADA, CO – A man accused of robbing a TCF bank in Arvada stuffed about $1,130 into the pocket of his orange hoodie, police said. But along for the ride was a tiny GPS chip, buried in the wad of cash, that helped police locate Alex Michael Cockrell, 29, and arrest him later that day.

Police allege Cockrell walked into the TCF branch at 7203 W. 55th Ave. around 9:45 a.m. Sept. 1. He approached a teller and demanded money saying, "I'm sorry I have to do this, but I need all your money," a police arrest affidavit said. The teller described the robber as "sad, soft-spoken and apologetic about robbing the bank." The robber did not make demands or show any kind of weapon, the teller told police.

Cockrell asked for bills that were loose in the register, police said. He stuffed them into the front pocket of an orange hoodie sweatshirt, which he wore with the hood pulled over his head, police said. Cockrell was described by police as a white male in his late 20s, approximately 5'2" tall with a thin build. He was auburn haired and wore a beard, police said.

Another teller recognized the robber from a photo sent around by the company connected to a man who allegedly robbed the TCF branch at Broadway Boulevard and Evans Street in Denver a couple of days before. Both tellers pushed an alarm button.

Cockrell allegedly said, "I'll pay you back sometime," as he left the bank, tellers told police. Witnesses saw him running away from the bank with his hands in his pockets.

Police got a signal from the GPS chip from a gas station in the 6000 block of West 48th Avenue in Lakeside, and Lakeside police located a car and tried to curb it, but the driver sped away. The pursuit ended when Cockrell drove his car into a field near 70th Avenue and York Street and was taken into custody.

Officers found an orange hoodie in the car and a pile of cash, the arrest affidavit said. Cockrell allegedly told police he needed money to pay his girlfriend's bond and buy groceries and auto parts.

Cockrell has been in custody on a $17,500 bond in the Jefferson County Jail charged with two counts of robbery, aggravated motor vehicle theft, eluding police and theft, the First Judicial District Attorney's Office said.

Cockrell has a history of arrests in Weld County dating back to 2007 for violating probation, resisting arrest and a $500 fee for fishing without a license.

The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office is not releasing his photo because the investigation is ongoing.

He is next scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 14, according to the electronic docket.

Image via nevodka/Shutterstock

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