(PresidentialWire.com)- After a brief manhunt on Monday, law enforcement from multiple agencies apprehended the man suspected of robbing the Citizens Bank location inside of the Walmart in Ada, Oklahoma.
Matthew Thomas Pettigrew, 40, of Ada entered the bank just after 6:00 pm on Monday and handed the teller a note to place “all the cash” in an envelope. The teller complied and the suspect left the bank without incident.
Law enforcement from the Ada police, Pontotoc County sheriff’s office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Seminole Nation Police, and the FBI were involved in the manhunt.
After reviewing the surveillance video of both the robbery and the get-away, deputies were able to find footage of both the suspect and the pickup truck he used to make his escape.
Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Walker recognized the suspect as Matthew Pettigrew whom Walker had previously encountered. They ran the plates for the truck and found that it was registered to Pettigrew’s mother.
Deputy Walker checked at both Pettigrew’s apartment as well as his mother’s home but the suspect was at neither location. After checking a few other possible locations, Walker decided to try the Seminole Nation’s Rivermist Casino in neighboring Seminole County.
There Walker found Pettigrew’s vehicle parked near an entrance. He contacted the other law enforcement agencies to let them know the truck was found. Walker then called Seminole Lighthorse Police who have jurisdiction over the Seminole Nation and the casino.
Pettigrew was found gambling in the casino along with his girlfriend Charity Risner-McAlister.
Both Pettigrew and his girlfriend were taken into custody “without further incident.”
With permission from Pettigrew’s mother, the FBI searched the pickup truck registered under her name, where they found the clothes and shoes the suspect wore during the robbery. They also found the robbery note because the dope didn’t get rid of it.
