Sun City Center bank robbery suspect held after witness recognizes him from poster

SUN CITY CENTER — A vigilant bank employee who recognized a suspect from a wanted poster helped put the suspect behind bars Thursday, deputies said.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the employee at Trustco Bank in Apollo Beach called deputies and reported that a man featured in a Crime Stoppers poster had just looked through the bank window. The employee said the man left in a blue vehicle.

Deputies saturated the area, and within about 30 minutes, they spotted the man driving the described vehicle in the area of State Road 672 and Highway 301.

Deputies identified the driver as Jay Francis Larson, 49, who detectives believe robbed a SunTrust Bank at 1525 Rickenbacker Drive in Sun City Center twice, on March 5 and March 9, and robbed a Trustco Bank at 4441 Sun City Blvd. on March 16.

Victims and witnesses identified Larson as the robber.

Deputies said Larson will be charged with strong armed robbery. He was being held Friday at the Manatee County Jail until a transfer to Hillsborough County.