VIDEO: Arkansas man arrested in robbery at Hot Springs bank, police say

Police detain at least one person after a bank robbery Friday in Hot Springs.
Police detain at least one person after a bank robbery Friday in Hot Springs.

Police say an Arkansas man indicated to a teller that he had a bomb while robbing a Simmons Bank location in Hot Springs on Friday afternoon.

Cpl. Kirk Zaner, spokesman for the Hot Springs Police Department, said the Simmons Bank at 515 W. Grand Ave. was held up shortly before 2:15 p.m.

In a news release later in the afternoon, the Hot Springs Police Department identified the robber as Richard Gale Cotton, 48, of Hot Springs.

After a teller complied with his demand for money, Cotton is accused of leaving with an undisclosed amount of money, which unknowingly to him was equipped with a tracking device that alerted authorities of the robbery, police said.

Cotton was later located during a traffic stop of a white 1997 Toyota Camry at Broadway and Malvern Avenue, police said. Authorities said the vehicle's location matched that of the money.

According to police, Cotton was then arrested on charges of aggravated robbery and theft of property in an amount more than $1,000 as well as one count of use of a hoax substance.

A passenger in the Toyota was questioned and later released, according to authorities.

After searching a backpack that Cotton left behind at the bank, the Arkansas State Police Bomb Squad determined that the bomb threat was a false alarm, police said.

Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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