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Pasco deputies arrest robbery suspect outside of bank

 
Chapanoff
Chapanoff
Published Nov. 23, 2016

NEW PORT RICHEY

Robbery suspect arrested outside bank

A man robbed a Wells Fargo bank branch Tuesday evening as he pointed his finger in his pocket and insisted he had a gun, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.

Elias Chapanoff, 53, of New Port Richey was taken into custody outside the bank, at 6013 State Road 54, after he tried to carjack several people, deputies said.

Chapanoff, wearing a green-striped shirt and sunglasses, entered the bank just after 5 p.m., according to deputies. He "had his right hand under his shirt pointing his finger attempting to make it look like a gun," deputies wrote in Chapanoff's arrest report.

He demanded money from two tellers, who said Chapanoff slurred his speech and was possibly intoxicated. The tellers gave him $3,535, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Chapanoff left the bank and entered the shopping plaza parking lot, where he tried to steal two cars and asked a third person for a ride, deputies wrote. He then took off his outer shirt and ran across SR 54, where a deputy took him into custody.

Chapanoff faces charges of robbery with a weapon and carjacking with a firearm or dangerous weapon and a warrant charge of failure to appear. He was being held Wednesday at the Land O'Lakes Detention Center in lieu of $200,013 bail.