Stolen Money Found in Palestine Cemetery
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Kaitie Vanderpool-
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s office, Wawasee High School received an anonymous phone call just before 9 a.m. Sept. 12 from a man stating he was chasing his younger brother who was high on meth, carrying a gun, and that the younger brother claimed he was going to the school to shoot himself. Multiple officers responded to the report and placed the school on lockdown.
Officers traced the anonymous call, and with information provided from the school’s phone service, discovered the call came from a phone number registered to Zachary Springer, 28, of 410 Kincaide St., Warsaw.
At approximately 9:15 the same morning, police received an alarm from Key Bank, 105 W. South St., North Webster, and a 911 call reporting a bank robbery had just occurred.
Officers responded to the bank and through interviews discovered an unknown male had come into the bank covering all of his skin with clothing and sunglasses and robbed two tellers. One teller told police the male walked up to her, threw a bag on the counter and told her to fill the bag. The man then jumped on the counter and pushed the teller aside, filling the bag with banded money from the bottom drawer. The man then went to a second teller and placed more money into the bag before leaving on foot.
The suspect was not immediately located by K-9 officers.
As the investigation continued, officers located Springer’s Facebook page, showing photos of Springer wearing sunglasses identical to the suspect’s shown on surveillance footage from the bank robbery. Officers also viewed a video on Springer’s Facebook page showing shoes identical to the suspect’s shown in surveillance footage of the incident. Officers also discovered Springer had obtained a new cell phone and new number shortly after the robbery occurred.
Springer was subsequently arrested Sept. 19 and preliminarily charged with robbery and theft and held on a $400,000 bond.
Police then obtained a search warrant for Springer’s residence and found gloves and sunglasses in a trash can matching those worn by the robbery suspect.
During the search of the residence, officers spoke with Springer’s roommate, Derek Michael Bruner, 24, and listened to phone calls between the two during which Springer advised Bruner to look in certain locations inside the residence.
Springer later told police Bruner had told him the money was not in the location where Springer stated it was. Bruner later admitted he had found the money and buried it at Harrison Township Cemetery, 5674 W. Schilling Road.
Bruner showed officers where he had buried the money and officers recovered over $750 in cash.
Bruner was arrested Monday and preliminarily charged with obstruction of justice, assisting a criminal and theft, all felony charges, and held on a $10,000 bond.[[In-content Ad]]
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According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s office, Wawasee High School received an anonymous phone call just before 9 a.m. Sept. 12 from a man stating he was chasing his younger brother who was high on meth, carrying a gun, and that the younger brother claimed he was going to the school to shoot himself. Multiple officers responded to the report and placed the school on lockdown.
Officers traced the anonymous call, and with information provided from the school’s phone service, discovered the call came from a phone number registered to Zachary Springer, 28, of 410 Kincaide St., Warsaw.
At approximately 9:15 the same morning, police received an alarm from Key Bank, 105 W. South St., North Webster, and a 911 call reporting a bank robbery had just occurred.
Officers responded to the bank and through interviews discovered an unknown male had come into the bank covering all of his skin with clothing and sunglasses and robbed two tellers. One teller told police the male walked up to her, threw a bag on the counter and told her to fill the bag. The man then jumped on the counter and pushed the teller aside, filling the bag with banded money from the bottom drawer. The man then went to a second teller and placed more money into the bag before leaving on foot.
The suspect was not immediately located by K-9 officers.
As the investigation continued, officers located Springer’s Facebook page, showing photos of Springer wearing sunglasses identical to the suspect’s shown on surveillance footage from the bank robbery. Officers also viewed a video on Springer’s Facebook page showing shoes identical to the suspect’s shown in surveillance footage of the incident. Officers also discovered Springer had obtained a new cell phone and new number shortly after the robbery occurred.
Springer was subsequently arrested Sept. 19 and preliminarily charged with robbery and theft and held on a $400,000 bond.
Police then obtained a search warrant for Springer’s residence and found gloves and sunglasses in a trash can matching those worn by the robbery suspect.
During the search of the residence, officers spoke with Springer’s roommate, Derek Michael Bruner, 24, and listened to phone calls between the two during which Springer advised Bruner to look in certain locations inside the residence.
Springer later told police Bruner had told him the money was not in the location where Springer stated it was. Bruner later admitted he had found the money and buried it at Harrison Township Cemetery, 5674 W. Schilling Road.
Bruner showed officers where he had buried the money and officers recovered over $750 in cash.
Bruner was arrested Monday and preliminarily charged with obstruction of justice, assisting a criminal and theft, all felony charges, and held on a $10,000 bond.[[In-content Ad]]
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