AFTON – Through the combined efforts of bank employees, the public, Wyoming Highway Patrol, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department and the Afton Police Department there has been a successful arrest of a bank robbery suspect within 20 minutes after the robbery.
The suspect was arrested after Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers were alerted to a robbery from the First National Bank on Washington Street in Afton late Monday afternoon.
The suspect entered the bank, demanded money and then left the area with an undisclosed amount of cash in a red Toyota pickup. The fleeing pickup was reported headed southbound on US 89.
Within minutes of the report a Trooper caught up to the red pickup. Unknown if the suspect was armed with a weapon, the Trooper followed the vehicle until additional backup officers arrived.
Due to the proximity to the Wyoming/Idaho State line law enforcement officers in Idaho were also notified and were waiting at the border in case the suspect attempted to elude the Trooper and cross the State line at Border Junction.
The Trooper initiated a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle at the summit of Salt River Pass approximately 15 miles south of Afton. 56 year-old Donald A. Sample was taken into custody without incident.
Officers have also recovered from the pickup currency that had been taken during the robbery as well as evidentiary items linking Sample to the robbery.
Green River Police reported evidence potentially linking Sample with a previous bank robbery, read about it here.