Alabama Man Robs Bank, Wants Jail Time To Avoid Homelessness

An Alabama man robbed a bank then waited for police to arrive. Sitting patiently on a nearby bench in the shade of the bank, the robbery suspect was found and arrested by police Monday.

Sources at Yahoo! News say police in the Alabama town of Moulton said the suspect repeatedly explained that he was fearing homelessness and wanted jail time. After injuring his leg in an accident, the man was concerned about losing his job and being unable to afford rent and food.

The man was identified by authorities as 49-year-old Rickie Lawrence Gardner, who they have charged with first-degree theft and first-degree robbery. As of Tuesday Gardner was still in county jail with no lawyer.

Moulton Police Chief Lyndon McWhorter described Gardner’s actions, when he entered Bank Independent Monday morning.

After reaching the counter, Gardner gave the teller a note. Gardner had written “I have a weapon. Give me your money,” and directed the teller to put the cash in his bag.

With more than $4,000 in hand, Gardner left the bank. Then he walked to his car, parked nearby, and got in.

Instead of driving off, the Alabama man who robbed the bank simply placed the bag of money in the passenger seat, got out of the car, and locked it. He then walked to a shaded bench next to the bank and sat down to wait for the police.

Police, perhaps puzzled by the man’s actions, arrested Gardner while he explained that, according to Chief McWhorter, in jail “he’d have a place to live and a place to eat.”

McWhorter said that the weapon mentioned in the note was invented by Gardner, who hoped it would give him a better chance of being given a longer jail sentence.

A relative of the accused Alabama man who robbed a bank Monday morning says Gardner may have been having problems with his medication that he’d been taking since the accident, possibly affecting his mental state.

[Image via ShutterStock]