STEUBENVILLE - Damion Sacripanti, 36, of 203 Kingsdale Road, Pottery Addition, was taken into custody early today by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department in connection with the robbery of the Huntington Bank in Richmond around 12:15 p.m. Wednesday.
The sheriff's department received two telephone calls from people stating they believed Sacripanti was the one involved because of video released showing the robber. A key identifying mark on the robber was a black eye, the sheriff's department reported.
Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said deputies and Weirton Police spent Wednesday evening searching for Sacripanti when information was received he was staying with his girlfriend at a residence in Pottery Addition. Deputies went to the home around 12:55 a.m. today and spoke with the girlfriend. A deputy reported the girlfriend said Sacripanti had just left.
Another deputy saw Sacripanti trying to sneak out of the apartment and placed him under arrest.
The sheriff's department said Sacripanti was questioned about the bank robbery and admitted it was him.
He said he went into the bank and told a teller to give him money, the sheriff's department reported. When the teller just stared at him, Sacripanti said he reached over the counter and grabbed cash, the sheriff's department reported.
The cash fell to the floor near the teller, so Sacripanti said he jumped over the counter and grabbed about $1,000 in cash, all in small denominations, the sheriff's department reported.
Sacripanti ran out of the bank to a car where his girlfriend was waiting, a deputy said. The girlfriend, identified as Elizabeth M. Ely, 28, told deputies she didn't know that Sacripanti had planned on robbing the bank, the sheriff's department reported. She also was taken into custody and was lodged in the county jail this morning.
Sacripanti is facing a robbery charge. Abdalla said it will be up to the county prosecutor's office whether Ely will be charged.
Sacripanti told deputies he used the cash to buy heroin in Steubenville. When searched, he only had $58 in his pocket. A deputy reported Sacripanti said he used the rest of the $1,000 to buy heroin.
Deputies asked Sacripanti where the clothes he used in the bank robbery were located, and deputies found the clothes hidden inside the Pottery Addition apartment, including a gray hooded sweatshirt and black and white tennis shoes. The clothing matched what the robber was wearing, the sheriff's department reported.
It was the second bank robbery in Jefferson County this month. The U.S. Bank in Smithfield was robbed on March 11. An arrest in that robbery was made the same day.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol assisted in the apprehension.