Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Gastonia Police Arrest 2 Men for Bank Robbery

Gastonia police officers arrested two men Thursday and charged them with robbing the PNC Bank on South New Hope Road.

Eighteen year-old Jalen Christopher Davidson and 20 year-old Kevin Lee Long Jr., both of Gastonia, were charged with robber with a dangerous weapon and a felony charge of conspiracy.  Police had initially apprehended three men, but released the third after determining that he had no part in the robbery.

The arrests are the result of a tip passed on to police, involving the description of a vehicle that was possibly involved in the robbery. Police went to investigate the call, which led them to a home on King Arthur Drive just minutes after the robbery occurred. That's where authorities found Davidson and Long, standing near a white Honda Civic that was parked on the street. In all, the pair had made out with $2,569, which was all recovered.

Davidson and Long are both being jailed in Gaston County, each under a $200,000 bond. Reports say Long, who was also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, robbed the bank with the assistance of Davidson. Though Long pointed the gun in the direction of a teller, no one was physically hurt during the robbery. Within 4 weeks, there have been two other armed bank robberies on South New Hope Road besides this case.
Jalen Christopher Davidson
Kevin Lee Long, Jr.