Police make arrest shortly after bank robbery

BROWNSTOWN, Ind. (WISH) — A 35-year-old Brownstown man was arrested shortly after a bank robbery on Tuesday in the Jackson County town, Indiana State Police say.

A bank alarm from JCBank alerted dispatchers about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. The bank is at 108 W. Commerce St. That’s at the intersection of U.S. 50/Commerce Street and South Main Street, on the edge of the central business district in the town of 3,000 residents.

“Initial information was that an armed male entered the bank, pointed a gun at the employees, and left the branch on foot with cash,” a state police news release said. “Additional information obtained from a witness at a nearby residence reported that a male suspect ran through his yard and got into a black passenger car that was occupied by two other individuals before leaving the area.”

A Brownstown Police Officer a short time later found and stopped a black Nissan car, matching the witness’s description, on Vallonia Road westbound from Poplar Street, just outside of Brownstown.

Jeremiah M. Bragg exited the rear passenger seat of the car while holding a handgun and large amount of cash, police say. Brownstown officers and Jackson County deputies caught up with Bragg, who soon dropped the handgun, and took him into custody. Two women who were in the car with Bragg were later released.

The state police were asked to handle the investigation. Police later determined $900 was taken from the bank.

Online court records on Wednesday afternoon did not show a criminal case filed yet for Bragg.

Bragg remained jailed Wednesday afternoon on a preliminary charge of robbery.

Brownstown is about an 80-minute drive south of downtown Indianapolis.