Spittle linked to Monroe heist suspect

Published 11:54 pm Tuesday, November 4, 2008

MONROE — A Gatorade bottle full of saliva and chewed tobacco has landed a Lake Stevens man in jail as the prime suspect of an elaborate armored truck heist in Monroe that relied on decoys recruited from Craigslist and a getaway inner tube.

Monroe detectives, along with FBI agents, on Monday arrested Anthony Curcio, 28, in the parking lot of the Lake Stevens Target store. He was allegedly transferring a small safe from one vehicle to another when he was detained.

Curcio had a large stash of money on him, Monroe police spokeswoman Debbie Willis said. Investigators believe it is part of the loot taken from the Brinks truck on Sept. 30 outside the Bank of America.

A security guard from the armored truck was moving money into the bank when a man doused him with pepper spray and grabbed two bags of cash, according to the affidavit. The suspect ran off and was last seen wading into Woods Creek near a bright-yellow inner tube.

Police believe the bandit used the tube to escape or float the loot down the creek. Investigators recovered the inner tube about 200 yards from where the robber was seen entering the creek. They also found a small bag of money, a wig, sunglasses, a white particle mask and a two-way radio.

Investigators believe Curcio used an unsecured wireless connection to place an ad on Craigslist as part of a scheme to draw decoys to the bank. The ad sought laborers to work a landscape job near the bank. Numerous workers showed up wearing similar clothes the suspect wore during the heist.

A possible dress rehearsal for the holdup three weeks before the Sept. 30 heist may have been the bandit’s undoing.

A homeless man on Sept. 9 found a pile of items, including a baseball cap, a two-way radio, a black wig and a canister of pepper spray near the dumpster at the Bank of America, according to the affidavit. A man jumped out of a Chevy Trailblazer, grabbed the stuff and drove off, Willis said. The witness reported the incident to a city worker. He also called 911 but the call was mistakenly dispatched to Arlington police.

“They got the one thing we always want citizens to get — a license plate number,” Willis said.

A couple days after the heist, detectives were provided the information about the earlier incident outside the bank and began investigating the owner of the vehicle in connection with the Sept. 30 holdup. The registered owner is Curcio’s wife.

FBI agents were tailing Curcio in early October in an effort to get a genetic sample. He gave them the perfect opportunity, Willis said. He dropped a bottle of already-masticated chewing tobacco and spit in a garbage can at a gas station. FBI agents grabbed the bottle from the trash after Curcio drove off.

The makeshift spittoon was sent to the crime lab, where it was matched against a sample taken from the particle mask, according to the search warrant.

“Who would have guessed he’d be spitting in a bottle and drop it into a garbage can?” Willis said.

The match gave investigators the evidence they needed to make an arrest, she said.

Curcio made a brief appearance Tuesday in Everett District Court. Prosecutors requested $1 million bail. Curcio’s attorney argued that his client has significant ties to the community, including a wife and two infant children and asked for a lower bail.

Curcio was ordered held on $250,000 bail.

Police believe Curcio has been spending some of the money since the robbery. Willis declined to say how much was taken during the holdup. Witnesses reported that he’s been having financial problems but recently took a weeklong trip to Las Vegas.

A second man, 26, also was arrested and booked into jail for possession of stolen property. It’s unclear if he is suspected of being involved in the robbery.

Witnesses reported that man has been using cash to buy thousands of dollars worth of goods, including a computer and furniture. He allegedly went with Curcio to Las Vegas.

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.

Help the investigation

Police are asking anyone with information about an inner tube used during a Sept. 30 robbery in Monroe to call 360-363-4600. Investigators believe the Hornet brand tube was stolen.