Joshua Mort

PIERCETON — Police received several tips, including one from Crime Stoppers, related to the Lake City Bank robbery in Pierceton two days before Christmas that led to the arrest of a Pierceton man late last week.

Joshua Ruben Mort, 22, 702 W. Tower St., Pierceton, is charged with robbery with a deadly weapon, a level 3 felony; and theft, a level 6 felony. 

At 1:55 p.m. Dec. 23, a robber entered the bank carrying a black semi-automatic handgun and ordered everyone inside the bank to get on the floor. 

The robber was wearing a tan South Pole hooded sweatshirt, jeans, dark gloves and had a blue bandana covering his face. The robber removed more than $750 cash from a bank teller’s cash drawer before fleeing on foot. 

Bank surveillance photos and audio were released to the public, with police receiving numerous tips soon afterward. Several tips identified the robber as Mort, who lives near the bank. 

Police spoke with a witness who said he saw a man wearing a South Pole shirt walking from Tower Street toward the bank. A short time later, the witness saw the same man wearing a South Pole shirt and a blue bandana on his face, running from the bank area back toward Tower Street. 

An officer spoke with three other people who all identified the voice in the audio clip obtained from the bank as Mort’s voice.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Dec. 26, police served a search warrant on Mort at the home where he and his mother reside. Inside the residence, police found a pair of gloves that matched the gloves worn at the robbery. Officers also found an owner’s manual for a semi-automatic handgun. 

Police spoke with a woman at the residence, who said on the day of the robbery Mort was home alone from 1:30 to 4:50 p.m. 

In a statement released earlier, Pierceton Police Chief Tim Sammons expressed appreciation for the public’s assistance.

“I’m very pleased with how quickly the investigation unfolded, and the sequence of social media tips received from the public and from Crime Stoppers. Contrary to what the public thinks, there is an awesome working relationship between the local law enforcement agencies in Kosciusko County. Better than ever. Everyone working together is how crime is solved,” Sammons said.

The investigation is ongoing, Sammons said.

Mort was booked at the Kosciusko County Jail Dec. 27 on a $20,250 surety and cash bond.