09-26-miller-mugshotFrom the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office: The suspect who allegedly robbed the American National Bank at Westlake Towne Center on Aug. 23 has been arrested in Glynn County, Ga., where he is charged with attempted robbery and attempted carjacking at knifepoint.

Zachary Ray Miller, 27, of Newark, Del., was arrested with two other white males near Savannah, Ga., on Aug. 26, according to Franklin County Sheriff Bill Overton.

Investigator Tim Taylor traveled to Georgia last week to gather evidence, including fingerprints and DNA, to compare with evidence collected at the bank after the Westlake robbery and on an orange collared shirt found discarded in a dumpster behind Kroger, Overton said. Investigators have determined that the suspect had been shopping at the Westlake Kroger just before the robbery, where he was captured on video, Overton added.

The suspect walked into the bank about 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 23 and handed the cashier a note, asking for money, according to Major Mike Bowman. The suspect did not present a weapon but made a verbal statement, the nature of which was not released to the press. The suspect made no attempt to hide his identity.

The suspect fled on foot and is believed to have been picked up by two other men in a white Dodge pickup truck, Overton said. Investigators have determined that the truck is registered in Maryland to a relative of one of the other two men, who are also in custody in Georgia. One of those men has been linked to a Franklin County resident.

Investigators also discovered that Miller is wanted in connection with a bank robbery in Delaware, three days before the Westlake robbery, Overton said.

Once the Roanoke crime lab has completed an analysis of the evidence, the report will be submitted to the Franklin County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Miller will likely face a robbery charge, which is a Class 5 felony in Virginia, punishable by one to 10 years in prison.

More than 20 individuals were involved in the search for the suspect on Aug. 23, Taylor said. The sheriff’s office was assisted by the Virginia State Police, which provided a helicopter during the search for the suspect and a tracking canine, and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.