Update 2:02 p.m.

Akron police now tell AkronNewsNow suspected bank robber Raphel Antonio Penn, 25, is not in custody as previously reported. Police sent an e-mail to local media before noon noting they had Penn in custody, but updated the status of the case at 2:00 this afternoon noting they were still asking for the public's help in finding Penn.

Penn is wanted for the August 17th heist at a First Merit Bank branch on Brittain Road and is considered a suspect in the robberies of banks in Northfield Center and Solon as well. He remains at large.

Previous coverage:

Akron police tracked down their man, finally putting 25-year old Raphel Antonio Penn of Stow behind bars on bank robbery charges.

Penn had been wanted since allegedly robbing the First Merit Bank branch on Brittain Road August 17th; he'd also been a suspect in heists of banks in Northfield Village and Solon.

Penn is now in custody.

- - -

Original APD advisory: Detectives were able to identify last Friday’s bank robber through physical evidence. Detectives signed a warrant for robbery on Ralphel Antonio Penn, 25, of Cox Drive in Stow, Ohio.

Detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating Ralphel A. Penn. Penn is a black male, 5’08”, 155 lbs. Anyone with Ralphel Penn’s whereabouts is asked to contact our department.

Around 11:00am on August, 17, 2012, Penn entered the First Merit Bank, located at 840 Brittain Road, and handed the teller a note demanding money. The teller gave Penn an undisclosed amount of cash and then he fled southbound from the bank.

Penn may also be responsible for two other bank robberies, one in Northfield Village and the other in Solon, Ohio. Additional charges are expected.

**Update: Ralphel Penn is in custody at this time.

Akron Police are seeking the public's help in locating a man who they say robbed a bank on the city's east side.

Employees at the First Merit Bank on Brittain Road reported a man entered the bank shortly after 11:00 this (Friday) morning and handed the teller a note demanding money.

The teller gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash and the suspect took off westbound from the bank. There were no reports of a weapon being used during the robbery.

Police are looking for a  dark-complexioned black man, 20 – 25 years old, 5’08” – 5’09” tall. He is described as thin and clean-shaven.

He was wearing a brown baseball hat, tan short sleeve shirt, black vest and black pants during the time of the alleged incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Akron Police.
 

A serial bank robber that has plagued Akron and Canton grocery stores is now in custody accused of a series of hold ups.

Benjamin Gates, 33, is suspected in a number of robberies but right now he's only being held on a theft in Canton, additional charges are pending.

Gates is suspected in five other robberies where he would go to grocery store banks and hand the teller a note saying he had a weapon.

Vicki Anderson, Special Agent with the FBI tells AkronNewsNow how they were able to track down Gates after the alleged robbery at a USA bank inside an Acme grocery store in Cuyahoga Falls around 10:30am Thursday morning.  

As Gates was leaving the store on Bailey Road a witness was able to copy down his license plate.

"A witness actually grabbed a license plate tag from the subject as he departed the parking area and we were able to track that license tag" says Anderson.

Gates is a Canton native and is being held on one million dollar bond according to Cantonrep.com.

FBI, Canton Police, Stark County Sheriff, North Canton, Cuyahoga Falls and Liberty Police are all involved in the investigation.

See Previous ANN coverage.

AkronNewsNow.com

There's been another bank robbery inside a supermarket.

Cuyahoga Falls police say a thin, dark skinned male wearing a baseball cap robbed the U.S. Bank inside the Acme store on Bailey Road at about 10:30 this (Thursday) morning.

Police say the suspect handed the bank teller a note saying "this is a robbery" and indicated that he had a gun, demanding money.

The man left the store with an undetermined amount of money.

Cuyahoga Falls police and the FBI are investigating.

The FBI has been looking into a series of bank robberies inside area supermarkets during the past few weeks, in Canton, North Canton, Cuyahoga Falls and Youngstown.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the nearest FBI office. A reward is being offered for anyone who comes forward with information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

You can contact the FBI at their Canton office at (330) 456-6200; Akron office at (330) 535-6156; Youngstown office at (330) 965-2940 and the Cleveland office at (216) 522-1400.

PREVIOUS ANN COVERAGE:

8/15/12: FBI Searching For Serial Bank Robber

Northfield police along with the FBI are investigating an alleged bank robbery that took place late Monday morning.

Authorities say a man targeted the Charter One Bank on Northfield Road around 11:50 a.m.

The Beacon Journal reports the man walked into the bank and handed the teller a note demanding money. He then took off on foot with an unreported amount of cash.

Police are also looking to see if the man had accomplice help him with the alleged heist and getaway.

He is described as a dark-complexioned black man standing about 6 foot tall with a goatee. During the time of the incident, he was wearing a white baseball hat, black pants and a white shirt with black stripes on the sleeves

Anyone with information is asked to call Northfield police.

On the Web: www.ohio.com

Akron Police are looking for a woman they say robbed the FirstMerit Bank on South Arlington Street.

Police describe the suspect as a heavy set white female with large bandaids on her nose and on the right side of her face.

The robber fled the bank at 1411 South Arlington Street with an undisclosed amount of money. According to the bank's surveillance video, the robbery took place at about 10:30 Saturday morning.

Police say their female suspect was wearing a gray zippered hoodie with blue jeans, sunglasses and a ballcap.

If you have any information on the robbery, you're being asked to call Akron police.

Bath Township Police have a man in custody in connection with a bank robbery.

Police responded to the Key Bank on Medina Road around 2p.m. this afternoon for reports of a man allegedly entering the bank and producing a note demanding money. He took off on foot without any cash.

Bath Police say there was no weapon used in the robbery attempt.

Authorities caught up with the alleged robber thanks to a tip from a grocery store employee.The employee alerted police to suspicous activity in a wooded area near the store. Police arrested the man matching the alleged robber's description around 2:30 p.m.

The man is currently in the custody of Bath Township Police. Charges are pending.

Akron Police officers didn't have long to look for a trio of thugs who hit the First Merit on Brittain Road this morning, and it ended badly for one of them.

Police say one is dead, the other two in custody after police tracked them down. NewsChannel 5 reporting the dead man apparently killed himself as police approached near the All-American Bridge.

Akron Police Lieutenant Rick Edwards tells AkronNewsNow the identity of the deceased or the two suspects arrested hasn't been released. He credits the quick action of officers in tracking down the suspects came after a "great" witness provided a solid eyewitness account, including the getaway car and license plate of the vehicle used by the three suspects.

Edwards says it doesn't appear, at this point, that another bank robbery at a second First Merit branch on West Market Street just after 9:30 a.m. was related.

Another bank heist in Akron, this time thieves hitting the First Merit in the 800 block of West Market.

It happened just after 9:30 as a pair entered the bank and passed a note demanding money; Akron police say the two then fled on foot.

- - -

(Akron PD) Shortly after 9:30 this morning, the First Merit Bank, located at 855 West Market Street, was robbed. Employees reported the suspects entered the bank and handed the teller a note demanding money. The teller placed money in a red envelope and the suspects fled with an unreported amount of cash. The suspects were last seen running eastbound from the bank.

The suspects are two black males in their thirties. The first suspect is 5’08”, wearing a black hat, gray plaid jacket and dark blue jeans. The second suspect was wearing a gray hat, black puffy coat and blue jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at (330) 375-2490.

Akron police could use some help finding two suspects wanted in connection with a heist at a Key Bank branch on South Main Street today. One of the two may have made the task easier after he posed, full face, on-camera.

News release - Akron PD

Please be advised that today, November 30, 2011, shortly before 2:30 p.m., the Key Bank at 219 South Main Street was robbed.

The suspect that entered the bank is described as a black male in his 20’s, approximately 6’01” and 185 pounds. He was wearing a maroon ski hat and a gray sweatshirt with jeans.

A second male was seen waiting outside of the bank. He is described as a black male in his 20’s, 6’02” and approximately 180-200 pounds. Both subjects fled the bank Southbound on Main Street.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330.375.2490 or dial 9.1.1 if it is an emergency. Anonymous tips may be sent to http://www.akronohio.gov/asp/tip.html