Scott Police Make Arrest In Home Bank Robbery

SCOTT, La. (KPEL) -- Scott Police Chief Chad Leger is calling the Friday arrest of the man believed to be responsible for the Thursday armed robbery of the city's Home Bank the result of a great working relationship between his department and the Opelousas Police Department.

Leger announced at a Monday afternoon press conference that 59-year-old Charles Fontenot of Opelousas was arrested after an anonymous tip was received by the Opelousas Police Department. That tip was then forwarded to Scott Police, Leger said.

Opelousas Police Chief Perry Gallow said the tip had particular information about the bike Fontenot allegedly used to flee the scene of the bank robbery, as well as detailed information about the tattoo on Fontenot's left forearm.

Fontenot allegedly stole some $14,000, Leger said. When police searched his Opelousas home Friday, police found a bag with $12,000 in cash in it, Leger said. Fontenot allegedly used some of that money to buy an electronic device and made some "general expenditures" at a casino that night, Leger said.

"It was a huge huge success for law enforcement to accomplish this in such a short period of time for one of our local businesses," Leger said. "The network and the working relationship between Chief Gallow and myself...is a great pleasure to work with people such as the Opelousas Police Department."

Fontenot allegedly drove himself to a shopping center behind the bank, Leger said, then pulled a bike out of his vehicle, rode that bike to the bank, then left on that bike back to the vehicle. All of this was part of a "ploy" to distract police, Leger said.

There was also some confusion as to what Fontenot was wearing, Fontenot said.

"The [teller] was really really shaken up, and the teller, naturally she had a gun in her face and an unknown subject that's just robbed her, so the stress level was really high," Leger said. "So she gave us a little bit different clothing description."