Make Like a Tree and Get Outta here!

Recently eaten: stir fry
Recent annoyance: I can't tell if I am sweating, dying, or both.

Well, I suppose you can't blame a guy for trying. Seeing how pitifully disguised this robber was, you almost feel sorry for him. And, maybe, just maybe, he was making a statement of solidarity with the LiveEarth concerts. I mean, maybe.

Police rake in leafy robber
The bandit who wore a leafy disguise while robbing a downtown bank Saturday has been caught, police said.

Investigators say James Coldwell, 49, robbed the Citizens Bank at 1550 Elm St. while clad in clothing adorned with tree branches held on by duct tape.

Coldwell was charged with one count of robbery after answering questions at the police station, Capt. Dick Tracy said.

Police: Coldwell decided on robbery while drinking coffee

Video surveillance of the Saturday morning robbery showed a thin white man leaving the bank in a shroud of tree branches, all duct-taped to his shirt and head. His short, dark hair and mustache were clearly visible between the leaves.
Bank

This bank surveillance image shows the robber at left, with tree branches duct-taped to his head and body, leaving the Citizens Bank branch at 1550 Elm St. Saturday morning.

Tracy said police were tipped off by several anonymous callers after the footage appeared on a nightly news broadcasts.

"I think he was hoping the disguise would camouflage him enough that no one would recognize who he was," Tracy said.

Coldwell lives at 50 Lowell St., about three-quarters of a mile south of the bank. Residents at that address laughed about the incident, but refused to discuss it with a reporter yesterday.

Tracy said the robber made off with a bag containing less than $1,000. It appears investigators have since recovered most, if not all, of the money, he said.

No weapon was shown during the crime, police have said.

The Taking Tree