Bethel man arrested for bank robbery

Bethel Police Communications received a report of a bank robbery on Thursday, November 11, 2021 at approximately 11:00am from the AlaskaUSA Federal Credit Union within the Alaska Commercial grocery store at 135 Ridgecrest.

Officers responded to the scene and began their investigation. Following leads provided by witnesses and private video systems in the area a suspect description was developed. Officers located the suspect an hour after the crime in front of Swanson’s Grocery store.

Probable cause was developed and Mr. Ezekiel Thomas, 34 years old of Bethel, was arrested and remanded to the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center on a charge of Robbery II.

Due to the nature of the offense, both the local District Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Anchorage office) were briefed on the incident. No persons were injured during the robbery or the subsequent arrest process.

If you have any information regarding this crime, please contact the Bethel Police Department at (907) 543-3781. Case #: 2113850