An hour and a half after Arvest Bank in Fort Smith was reported robbed, the alleged suspect was located at a hotel in Roland Oklahoma by a Fort Smith detective.
The suspect has been identified as Thomas Henry Auldrige, 55, of Dallas, Texas, according to Sgt. Daniel Grubbs.
Sgt. Grubbs said Auldrige walked into the Arvest Bank, at 3200 Rogers Ave. in front of Creekmore Park, just before 7:30 Tuesday morning. He was the only person inside the bank at the time, other than the employees, according to Sgt. Grubbs.
Auldrige left with an undisclosed amount of cash in a blue Ford Taurus, according to police.
Fort Smith detectives and special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation began searching casinos across state lines, according to a police report.
Auldrige's car was found at the Travelodge Motel in Roland. He had checked into a motel room, Sgt. Grubbs said. The man gave consent to officers to search the room and vehicle. The clothing worn during the robbery and a large amount of cash was found inside the room, police say.
Auldrige was taken into custody and interviewed by authorities at the Roland Police Department. A warrant for aggravated robbery is being sought by Fort Smith detectives.
Auldrige is currently being held at the Sequoyah County Detention Center. He will need to be extradited to Fort Smith, Sgt. Grubbs said.
No injuries were reported.