Accused Bank Robber Nabbed In 5 Minutes

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A Tuesday morning search for an accused bank robber in St. Petersburg didn’t last very long. According to authorities, a man was brought into custody about five minutes after the robbery was reported.

The incident in question began to unfold around 9:30 a.m. May 30 when St. Petersburg Police say their officers were called to Grow Financial, 2600 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N. A man reportedly walked into the bank just before 9:30, walked up to a teller and implied he had a gun.

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The teller, police said, gave the man an undisclosed amount of money before he turned around and walked back out the door.

It was around 9:35 a.m., officers in the area of 14th Street North happened to notice a man who matched the description of the bank robber. The man was detained and then “identified as the bank robber.” Police say they found “a large amount of cash while searching him.”

Johnny Leo Haugabook Jr., 49, was brought into custody, but turned over to federal authorities. Police say he happens to be serving federal probation. The investigation into the robbery was also turned over to federal authorities as a result of his probation status.

It is unclear why Haugabook was on federal probation.

No further information is available at this time.

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Photo of Haugabook courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department