Police: Rockingham robbery suspects crashed car in Laurinburg subdivision

Oct. 06--ROCKINGHAM -- Police say a trio accused of robbing a bank Tuesday, crashed the getaway car into a Laurinburg subdivision before they were caught.

According to a post on the Laurinburg Police Department's Facebook page on Wednesday, an officer in the Scotland County city saw the silver Dodge Stratus, which matched the description broadcast of the car involved in the robbery on U.S. 74.

The vehicle failed to stop and traveled to U.S. 401 South. When it got near College Park, a residential area, police say one passenger got out and ran into a swampy, wooded area -- while the vehicle kept rolling until it wrecked in the subdivision. Two suspects were taken into custody at the scene of the accident.

Officers from the Laurinburg Police Department, Scotland County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina Department of Insurance and the aeronautical unit of the N.C. Highway Patrol searched the area for about three hours, according to the post.

Police say a search team entered the swamp forcing the the third suspect to come out on the west side near the James A. Morgan Recreation Complex.

According to Rockingham Police Chief Billy Kelly, a lone man walked into Fidelity Bank on East Broad Street around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and demanded money from a teller.

Kelly said the man suggested he had a weapon, but one was never displayed. He added that no one was injured in the robbery.

Richmond County Jail records show that 25-year-old Benjamin James Monneyhan, of Selma, is charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit felony larceny. He was booked under a $100,000 secured bond.

Alexandra Robeck Martin, 24, and and Jessie Lee Hood, 28, both of Goldsboro, are each charged with aiding and abetting armed robbery and conspiracy to commit felony larceny. They were each jailed under a $75,000 secured bond.

Kelly said other agencies were in the area to investigate if these were the same suspects involved in other incidents.

Polkton Police Chief Matthew Norris said Tuesday that it's possible they could be the suspects wanted in the attempted robbery of First Bank in his town last week. Those suspects were also driving a silver car.

Online records show that neither Monneyham, Martin nor Hood have any other pending charges or past criminal convictions in the state.

All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

Reach William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_Toler.

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