By Ashley Stewart

Owatonna People’s Press

OWATONNA — A suspect in the armed robbery of First National Bank in Hope was arrested Saturday morning in Texas.

Steele County Sheriff Lon Thiele said at 12:37 a.m. on Saturday, the sheriff’s office received a phone call from the Oklahoma State Patrol indicating a trooper was behind the black Dodge Charger that was identified leaving the bank robbery in Minnesota.

After attempting to pull the vehicle over, the trooper was led on a 40-mile chase at speeds of nearly 150 mph until the vehicle was stopped by the Texas State Patrol using stop sticks, law enforcement officials said.

The lone driver was identified as Alfredo Frias Alvarez, 39, of Waseca.

On Friday morning, a lone gunman entered First National Bank in Hope, pointed a gun at a bank teller and demanded money before making off with an undisclosed amount of cash, law enforcement officials said Friday.

After being handed the money, the man left the bank and fled the scene in what law enforcement officials described as a black Charger-like vehicle.

Thiele said that the tellers pushed the alarm button immediately after the man left the bank, and law enforcement responded immediately. No one was injured in the incident, he said.

During the investigation, it was determined that an employee working for a local trucking company was observed driving a black Dodge Charger matching the description provided by the Hope bank employees, Thiele said.

He added, the vehicle was also in danger of being repossessed, so a Steele County Sheriff’s Office investigator was familiar with it.

After checking with the owner of the trucking company, law enforcement officials identified Alvarez as the owner of the vehicle.

Thiele said Steele County investigators and FBI agents were able to obtain Alvarez’s cellphone information and started tracking his phone. It was then that law enforcement officials determined Alvarez lived in Waseca.

Upon arriving at Alvarez’s residence, the Waseca Police Department and the Waseca County Sheriff’s Office were unable to locate Alvarez but noticed that someone had left the place abruptly, Thiele said.

After the arrest, photos were provided to the Steele County Sheriff’s Office of a large amount of currency, organized by denomination, consistent with the money stolen from the bank, Thiele said.

The suspect’s vehicle has been impounded in Texas for further processing by the FBI. There are no other suspects at this time, Thiele said.