FARGO, N.D. (AP) β A man accused of robbing a Minot bank left behind a few bucks for his son β and plenty of clues for investigators.
Authorities say the suspect in the Jan. 21 theft donned distinct purple-framed glasses, left pieces of the note demanding money behind in his hotel room and mumbled under his breath about the theft in front of a social worker handling his son's foster care.
Charles Norton, 45, is facing a federal charge of bank robbery. Court documents do not list an attorney for Norton, who has yet to appear in court.
An affidavit shows that Norton, 45, handed a teller a note that read, "IM ROBING YOU MONEY OUT OF TILL NOW!!" The teller pulled money from the currency drawer and gave it to Norton after he said he wasn't kidding. The teller later described the suspect's outfit, including "the subject's glasses as purple-framed glasses that stood out as very different, and she kept looking at them," the affidavit reads.
After Minot police asked the public for assistance, the manager of a Minot hotel contacted authorities to tell them one of his guests wore purple-framed glasses. A search of the room discovered torn pieces of paper in the toilet and on a table that were "consistent with the paper that the bank robbery note was written on," the affidavit says.
Police also heard from a case manager for Norton's son who is currently in foster care in Williston. The child allegedly told the social worker that Norton had described a plan for the robbery that would include a note and not a weapon.
The social worker said Norton arranged a last-minute meeting with his son after the bank robbery, at which time he handed over some money and whispered something about a bank robbery. The child said Norton gave him $20, the affidavit says.
A court date has not been scheduled.
