FELLSMERE, Fla. — A man is facing numerous charges after robbing a bank Thursday afternoon in Fellsmere and leading police on a pursuit into St. Lucie County, Fellsmere police said.
The bank robbery happened at around just after 10 a.m. at the iThink Financial Bank located at 56 N Broadway St.
Police said bank personnel told them the bank robber demanded money be placed in a pillowcase he brought with him and then left with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Fellsmere police and Indian River County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene and found the bank robber, later identified as David Abram Ziesel, leaving in a gray Mazda Miata.
Meanwhile, Fellsmere Elementary School, which is located two blocks west of the bank, was placed on lockdown until the scene was secured.
Police said they pursued Ziesel as he drove southbound on Interstate 95 into St. Lucie County.
According to police, Ziesel ended up crashing into another car near the intersection of South 13th Street and Georgia Avenue in Fort Pierce, causing minor injuries to the other driver.
Ziesel, 44, of Port St. Lucie was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in serious condition. He faces multiple charges from the various agencies involved in the incident.
The sheriff's office said all of the stolen money was recovered.
Fellsmere police said they learned that Ziesel is also currently on federal probation for robbing a bank in Oakwood, Ohio back in 2019.
