WATERLOO ROBBERY UPDATE: One Suspect Dead, Another In Custody
A suspect shot during the attempted robbery of an armored truck outside a Waterloo bank Wednesday morning has died and a second suspect is in police custody.
Waterloo police confirmed the suspect's death in a press release Wednesday evening. Authorities said the man died at a local hospital after he was shot by security guards outside a U.S. Bank branch. On Thursday, police identified the victim as 37-year-old Bryce Miller of rural La Porte City.
Authorities said a second man, who fled the scene in a getaway car, was later apprehended outside a convenience store on the other side of the city. Police took Rogelio Gonzalez, 28, into custody on a charge of first-degree robbery and booked him into the Black Hawk County Jail.
The incident began around 9:45 AM Wednesday, when police responded to a report of shots fired at U.S. Bank, 3130 Kimball Ave. When officers arrived, they found the suspect who later died suffering from gunshot wounds. According to witnesses, the man was injured in a shootout with security guards at the scene.
In the press release, Waterloo police indicated the suspect was shot while he and Gonzalez were in a vehicle attempting to rob an armored vehicle in the bank parking lot. Gonzalez allegedly drove away in the vehicle. A short time later, investigators found the unoccupied vehicle a few blocks away from the bank.
Waterloo police said Gonzalez was later located around 1 PM outside Kwik Star, 1105 Cedar Bend St. Authorities surrounded a car in the parking lot and took Gonzalez into custody without incident. According to police, Gonzalez was suffering from a gunshot wound. He was treated for the injury at hospital, then taken to jail.
The attempted robbery forced a brief lockdown of schools and medical facilities located within an eight block radius of U.S. Bank. The lockdowns were ordered for Hoover Immediate and Lou Henry Elementary Schools; MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center; Waterloo Health Plaza; and Kimball Ridge Center, a former hospital that houses medical offices.
Authorities said Wednesday night the investigation remains active. Anyone with information regarding the attempted robbery should contact Waterloo police.