Jacksonville police arrest serial bank robbers, after officer spots vehicle with distinctive damage

Jacksonville, FL — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of two people that it describes as serial bank robbers.

The pair is believed to be connected to at least four armed bank robberies in the Jacksonville area, including the February 9th robbery at Regions Bank on Roosevelt Boulevard, the February 15th robbery at Wells Fargo on Blanding Boulevard, and a robbery at the 5/3 on Beach Boulevard Wednesday. 

In one of these robberies, a suspect threatened to shoot a bank teller if he didn't comply with demands for cash. In another robbery, the suspect pulled out a chrome revolver firearm and forced employees to empty two cash drawers at gunpoint.

JSO says more charges are forthcoming on additional robberies.

According to the arrest reports for the two suspects--- Lindsey Leonard, 26, and Conner Preston, 29--- Officer Adam Gaulding spotted an older green Honda Accord, with distinctive damage in the front driver side and bump, as well as a faded hood driving on I-95, just before the Main Street Bridge exit. This matched the description of the getaway vehicle spotted leaving four bank robberies.

Officer Gaulding stopped the vehicle and detained Preston and Leonard.

The arrest reports state that Leonard was found to be in possession of a large amount of money, $1.135, during the police interview and JSO says it was traced back to the robbery of the 5/3 Bank on Beach Boulevard only hours earlier.

JSO says Leonard confessed to being at the scene of the robbery that Preston committed. The reports state that she also implicated Cooper in several other bank robberies.