Suspect With Star Quality Arrested
A Clark Gable look-alike was arrested Friday at his favorite pub on suspicion of robbing a savings and loan teller of $2,000 at knifepoint, police said.
A police officer who heard a broadcast about the holdup remembered that the description of the robber matched that of a certain transient: The robber looked like Clark Gable and walked with a limp.
So police Officer Ron Vallercamp found Chester Austin Washburn, 51, having a drink at the Snug Harbor bar.
Vallercamp, a 10-year veteran of the Police Department, arrested Washburn after searching his bicycle, which was parked nearby, and finding a knife and $2,000 believed taken from an Imperial Savings branch at 3366 Via Lido.
“The people at the bank said the suspect strongly resembled Clark Gable and walked with a limp,” Police Sgt. Andy Gonis said.
Mike Chinienti, a Snug Harbor bartender, said Washburn is a regular and “a real nice guy” who often did odd jobs around the place to earn a couple of bucks or a warm meal.
“Everybody loves him,” Chinienti said. “What happened with the bank was ridiculous--he was drunk.”
Washburn stopped by the bar early in the morning to clean some rugs, Chinienti said.
“I said, ‘Oh Chester, you’re too drunk.’ He said, ‘Well, OK, I guess I’ll go rob a bank then,’ and left,” Chinienti said.
Washburn later returned to the bar.
“He showed me the note he used,” Chinienti said. “It said, ‘Put the money in the sack.’ ”
Chinienti said he didn’t believe Washburn until Vallercamp appeared seeking the suspect.
Washburn was being held at Newport City Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
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