COVINGTON — An armed bank robbery, car chase, and manhunt stopped business in the normally quiet neighborhood of Latonia Thursday morning.

        Police arrested three Cincinnati men after following a chase through backyards and residential streets.

        Two men entered the Huntington Bank at the corner of Decoursey Avenue and West 36th Street at 9:37 a.m. and robbed the branch, according to police.

        One man pulled a handgun while the other jumped over the counter and began taking money out of the cash drawers. The two then ran from the bank with cash and down an alley to a getaway vehicle driven by a third man, police said.

        As a blue Pontiac TranSport minivan began driving away with the three suspects inside, Covington Police Officer Keith Parker was already on their trail.

        He had became suspicious of the vehicle after it made an illegal U-turn in front of the bank before the robbery. Officer Parker noticed the driver was wearing a ski mask that had not been completely pulled over his face.

        The men jumped from the minivan at the corner of East Southern Avenue and Church Street and began running through parking lots and jumping backyard fences.

        Covington Police converged with weapons drawn, ordering day-care workers, students and retirees to stay inside and lock their doors.

        Thirty minutes after the robbery was reported, all three suspects were apprehended.

        Many residents in the neighborhood are retired and were peering out their windows as officers rounded up the last suspect at the corner of 38th Street and Lincoln Avenue.

        Covington Police said Thursday afternoon that bank robbery charges are pending against Andre Davis, 26; Jamal Jones, 28; and Keylan Martin, 26, all of Cincinnati.

        “To catch three of them so fast is pretty impressive police work,” said Sgt. Teal Nally, spokesman for Covington Police. “Everything worked like it is supposed to. But the most credit has to go to Officer Parker for noticing a driver wearing a ski (mask) on a muggy day like this.”

        Sgt. Nally said investigators found a dark-colored backpack containing cash and a 9 mm pistol inside a box of Christmas ornaments being stored in a residential garage that was left unlocked. Cash was also recovered in the alley behind the bank. It had been dropped when a dye pack exploded. A bag containing a change of clothes was recovered from the van, police said.

        Jessie Purnell, 35, of Bromley, saw one of the suspects running down the middle of Church Street wearing all black and carrying a backpack. She said an officer was chasing the suspect.

        “I didn't know what was going on. I pointed the direction the two were running to other officers and got back inside. I didn't feel like it was safe for me to stay outside.”

        Ms. Purnell, who is a cook for Trinity United Methodist Church Pre-School and Daycare at 101 E. Southern Ave., said police told her to lock the door of the church.

        Holy Cross High School and Holy Cross Elementary School, which have more than 600 students at their Church Street locations, were also told to lock their doors.

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