SEBASTIAN — A Fort Pierce man has been arrested, accused of trying to rob a bank in Sebastian earlier this month.
The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office today announced it arrested 32-year-old Erik Cardace on May 20 after investigating what authorities are calling an attempted robbery that occurred on May 11 at the SunTrust Bank at 13800 US 1.
Cardace has since been released from the county jail on $10,500 bail and faces charges of felony robbery and misdemeanor driving under the influence, according to the Sheriff’s Office website.
The warrant affidavit issued by the Sheriff’s Office states that Cardace entered the bank on May 11 around 11 a.m., wearing layered clothing, black gloves, a hat and sunglasses and spoke with a bank teller about opening a joint checking account.
The teller and others in the bank reported to authorities that Cardace seemed nervous and fidgety.
He did not make demands for money, according to the report, and after the conversation with the teller, he left.
A teller called the Sheriff’s Office to report the incident and a deputy was dispatched to locate the man.
The deputy found him seemingly passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle in the parking lot of a nearby business. Cardace was brought in for questioning.
Upon a search of his items, investigators found a hand-written note in his wallet that read: “Robbery!! Give Money from Drawer and You will not be Hurt! No Alarms! No Die Packs! You Have 10 seconds!”
Based on the note and the amount of clothing – including hat, glasses and gloves – authorities believed Cardace intended to rob the SunTrust bank, the report states.
Cardace told authorities that he didn’t remember having his wallet on him when he entered the bank and that the note was the result of a “stupid joke” he had made to his fiancée during a fight over money a few nights prior.
He said he had asked her if she would still love him if he wrote a note – so he wrote the note and taped it inside his wallet, he told investigators.
According to surveillance video, Cardace had his wallet with him when he entered the bank and that he had taken the wallet out of his pocket and opened it while in the bank, contradicting Cardace’s statement.
