KING

Monroe police released this image of an inner tube used in the robbery.

MONROE, Wash. – A man suspected of robbing an armored bank truck and making his getaway via inner tube on the Skykomish River is in custody.

Monroe Police say 28-year-old Anthony Curcio of Lake Stevens was booked into Snohomish County Jail for robbery of the first degree.

A second suspect, Monroe resident Robert Ellis, was booked into jail for possession of stolen property. Police say he was with Curcio at the time of the arrest.

In a move that could be out of a Hollywood movie, police believe Curcio placed an ad on Craigslist to set up a diversion - using people to help pull off the crime when they didn't even know they were part of it until it was too late.

Police say that on Sept. 30 the suspect pepper-sprayed the security guard of an armored vehicle outside of a Bank of America. The suspect is accused of grabbing a bag of money and fleeing on foot. As he ran, police say he dropped a pepper spray canister, another bag of money, a hat, wig, sunglasses and a white particle mask.

The robber ran to the creek that runs into the Skykomish River.

One witness said the robber swam away, but another said he used an inner tube to get away.

"We did get an inner tube that was about 200 yards from the place where he entered the water and took that for evidence," said Debbie Willis, Monroe Police.

Apparently, the robber had planned ahead. He had at least a dozen unsuspecting decoys waiting nearby.

KING

An armored car sits outside a Bank of America branch in Monroe, Wash. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008. Police say a man tried to rob the car, then jumped into a creek that led to the Skykomish River.

"I came across the ad that was for a prevailing wage job for $28.50 an hour," said Mike, who saw a Craigslist ad looking for workers for a road maintenance project in Monroe.

He said he inquired and was e-mailed back with instructions to meet near the Bank of America in Monroe at 11 a.m. Tuesday. He also was told to wear certain work clothing.

"Yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask… and, if possible, a blue shirt," he said.

Mike showed up along with about a dozen other men dressed like him, but there was no contractor and no road work to be done. He thought they had been stood up until he heard about the bank robbery and the suspect who wore the same attire.

Police say Curcio was arrested after a citizen found a pile of items behind a dumpster near the Bank of America. The items included a two-way radio, a safety vest, a black wig, dark sunglasses and a can of mace – all similar to ones recovered at the scene of the robbery.

The citizen observed a man in a silver SUV gather up the items. The citizen copied down the man’s license plate number and contacted a city worker.