CONSTANT

March 10. A second suspect has been arrested in that armed robbery at the Carolinas Telco Federal Credit Union on West Catawba Avenue back on Dec. 29.

Benoit Constant was stopped during a routine traffic stop in Wichita Falls, Texas just this past Sunday. But after he gave a Trooper a false name and fled on foot, he confessed to being wanted in North Carolina. Constant is awaiting an extradition hearing to return to North Carolina where he will be charged with Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon and Making a False Bomb Report.

The incident Dec. 29 was almost stunning in its brazenness. Cornelius Police Department responded to an armed robbery at the Carolinas Telco, but the suspect, wearing a disguise, apparently made his getaway on foot and on a bicycle.

Prior to this robbery, Cornelius Police responded to a bomb threat at the YMCA on the other side of Town. Police suspected the bomb threat was a diversion to pull police officers away from the area of the robbery. Police used video surveillance footage to locate a minivan in the area of the bomb threat matching the same description of the vehicle the witness described as seen parked behind the shopping center where the cash and bicycle were found.

This same vehicle was also identified in the area of the bank at the time of the robbery. The license plate of this minivan was captured through surveillance video and was registered in Delaware. From this information Cornelius Police, with the assistance of the Maryland State Police and the FBI, located and detained the vehicle and a suspect, Milandra Constant, an accomplice in the robbery.  She was charged with Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon and Making a False Bomb Report.