Jun 14, 2008

Don't Mess with Texas... or the Army

FORT WORTH -- Two military men and two other bystanders took matters into their own hands on Friday when they took down a bank robber who attempted to carjack two women outside a Wells Fargo bank in far north Fort Worth.

"The police department doesn't condone that level of intervention; however, they certainly deserve a high-five for what they did," said Lt. Paul Henderson, a Fort Worth police spokesman. "No one was injured. There is no telling what would have happened. They potentially saved someone's life."

Police arrested Larry Don Enos, 57, in connection with the robbery that began about 11:30 a.m. at the Wells Fargo Bank.

Henderson said a man disguised in a fake beard, mustache and wig walked into the bank, pointed a revolver at a bank employee and said, "This is a robbery. I want the money from the drive-through and the money from the cash registers.'"

After the robber received the cash, he told the bank employee, "You are going to drive me out of here."

When the teller informed the robber that he couldn't leave, Henderson said, the bandit ordered the teller to give him the keys to his car. Henderson said the teller handed over the keys and the robber walked out of the bank.

Outside, Henderson said, the robber attempted to carjack a woman in the parking lot but, for reasons that are still unclear, was unsuccessful. At that point, Henderson said, the bandit went to a second woman's car in the drive-through ATM and attempted to carjack her.

Henderson said the woman asked the robber if she could get the kids out of the car first.

"He agrees to that and, while he is standing there, two civilians see him with a gun," Henderson said. "They come over and tackle him and take the gun away from him."

The civilians, who Henderson said are believed to be in the Army reserve or retired military, were soon joined by two other people, who helped detain the robber until police arrived.

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