Police arrest man accused of robbing two Marietta banks Wednesday
Dec. 2—A Cobb County man accused of committing two bank robberies in Marietta was arrested by the Marietta Police Department Wednesday, the department said.
John Chavis, 35, of Smyrna, was arrested as he exited the Bank of America at 140 Cherokee St. in Marietta with several thousand dollars in cash, MPD spokesperson Chuck McPhilamy said. Chavis is also accused of robbing the Wells Fargo at 602 Roswell St. earlier Wednesday.
According to police, Chavis entered the Bank of America just after 3:30 p.m. and showed a note to a teller threatening violence if they did not turn over $5,000.
"He kept one hand under a towel and motioned as though he was holding a handgun," McPhilamy said.
Bank employees activated the silent alarm system while an employee gathered the money and handed it over, according to police. When Chavis exited the bank, he was met by several armed Marietta police officers.
"Chavis refused to comply with verbal instructions but was taken into custody without incident," McPhilamy said.
While Chavis reportedly implied he had a gun during the robberies, he was unarmed when Marietta police arrested him, McPhilamy said.
Chavis was also identified by police as a suspect in the Wells Fargo robbery that occurred Wednesday morning, which was reported to Marietta police at 9:22 a.m.
McPhilamy said Chavis' method was "almost identical" in that robbery, except for wearing some different clothes.
The suspect was able to leave the Wells Fargo bank with more than $1,000 and evade capture before 911 was called, McPhilamy said.
Chavis was booked into the Cobb County jail around 6:30 p.m., according to jail records. He is being held there without bond.
The Marietta Police Department credited the successful apprehension of the suspect to its "Holiday Season Crime Prevention Plan."
"Knowing that crime rates traditionally increase in specific areas around the holidays, they implement several strategies to deter crime when possible as well as prepare officers to properly respond when it occurs," McPhilamy said. "The swift coordinated response and safe capture of this suspect was a clear reflection of those plans and the intentional ongoing training being given to our officers."
Marietta police thanked bank employees for following their protocol and contacting 911 as soon as they felt safe to do so. The department also commended Cobb County 911 for quickly transmitting information.
"The way our community trusts and works together with MPD is a large part of how our crime rates have remained so low for the last several years," MPD Chief Dan Flynn said in a press release.
