Grafton and Cedarburg police say a man was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 20, after attempted robberies at Port Washington State Bank branches in both communities and a hit-and-run crash in Grafton.
Grafton officers were first called at about 9:45 a.m. to the bank near Cheyenne and Washington, where employees said a person in a ski mask tried a locked door and then the front door. When the alarm sounded, the person ran toward Grafton High School. Officers searched the area, and Grafton High School and St. Joseph's Parish School were placed on a soft lockdown as a precaution, but no one was found.
At about 12:15 p.m., Cedarburg officers responded to the bank in downtown Cedarburg near Washington and Western for a man matching the Grafton description. Police say he demanded money and implied he had a weapon before a hold-up alarm was activated. He left the bank and ran to a nearby vehicle.
At about 2:25 p.m., Grafton police responded to a hit-and-run crash at 17th and Falls. Police say the fleeing vehicle, a black Chevy sedan, lost its right rear wheel in the crash. Minutes later, the vehicle was spotted in a parking lot on Falls Road, and officers say the man tried to run when they approached him but was caught right away.
Investigators say camera systems in both communities placed the same vehicle at both bank incidents. Officers who searched the vehicle under a warrant say they found a duffle bag holding a hoodie that matched the descriptions from both banks, along with black gloves, a mask and a handgun.
Police say the man was taken to the Ozaukee County Jail to await arraignment and formal charges, with charges expected to be referred to the Ozaukee County District Attorney's Office. The investigation by the Grafton and Cedarburg police departments is ongoing.
