Bank heist suspect silent
The suspect in the Thursday bank robbery in Butler was on the loose for 24 hours before he was caught Friday morning with the help of a vigilant passer-by.
Kevin Franklin, 35, was arrested about 10 a.m. while walking north on Route 8 in the southern part of the city.
Butler police Deputy Chief David Adam said a driver recognized Franklin and called 911. Police spotted him near Mac's Cafe and arrested him without incident. He did not have any weapons.
At 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Franklin allegedly walked into the NexTier Bank on East Diamond Street, went to a teller and demanded money. He was not armed.
Police said he walked away from the bank with $2,260 and then fled on foot.
The money Franklin is alleged to have stolen was not recovered.
“He didn't have any money on him,” Adam said.
Adam said Franklin was not at the police station long Friday, and said he would not speak to officers.
“He didn't want to speak with us without an attorney,” Adam said.
Franklin was arraigned Friday afternoon by District Judge William Fullerton on two counts of robbery. He did not have a preliminary hearing scheduled yet.
He is in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail.
Franklin's last known address was on North Elm Street in Butler. Adam said he was not sure if Franklin has any family in the area.
Officials from the bank declined to comment on the robbery.
However, Richard Krauland, president and CEO of NexTier Bank, said that in the past 11 years the bank has had five of its branch offices robbed, and all of the suspects have been caught within days.
“Police have been on top of these things, and it's amazing now quickly these (people) have been captured,” Krauland said.
Adam said Franklin already had an outstanding bench warrant for forgery from the Butler County Sheriff as well as another outstanding warrant from Allegheny County.
According to court records, Franklin was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in Butler County in 2005; a firearms violation in Allegheny County in 2001; harassment in 2003 and aggravated assault in 2005 in Butler County Court.
In 2012, he pleaded no contest to corruption of minors in Butler County Court.
Franklin also is a sexual offender listed on the state's Megan's Law website for a 2015 conviction for indecent assault in Allegheny County.
He has charges of reckless endangerment pending in Butler County Court. Records indicate he was scheduled to be sentenced in that case Feb. 24 by county Judge Timothy McCune. However, he failed to appear.
