He was handing out $50 tips at a cafe. Police then charged him with bank robbery

A man tipping $50 bills Monday morning on Duval Street was arrested for bank robbery 20 minutes after the 911 report came in, Key West police said.

Jonathan Robert Meyers, 45, of Nokomis, Florida, allegedly walked into the Simonton Street branch of Centennial Bank and demanded money — saying he had a weapon that didn’t turn up during his arrest — before heading to Key West’s most famous street to spend other people’s cash, according to police.

Meyers was arrested for robbery and tampering with evidence, both felonies. He remained at the Stock Island Detention Center on Monday evening without bond.

Police received the call at 9:18 a.m., after the suspect left the bank.

At 9:38 a.m., Meyers was in handcuffs after being caught at the intersection of Duval and Catherine streets.

“Meyers was carrying the undisclosed amount of money, and the officers saw him throw it behind a fence as they approached him,” said police spokeswoman Alyson Crean. “Meyers has an extensive criminal history.”

Surveillance video showed the suspect heading west on foot. He was described as a man with gray and possibly thinning hair and wearing a black Oakland Raiders T-shirt.

While police began the manhunt, a call came in from a suspicious upper Duval cafe owner who said a man was tipping $50 bills.

Another call came from a cab driver who saw a man fitting the suspect’s description walking near La Te Da, 1125 Duval St.

Nokomis is a Gulf Coast town about 20 miles south of Sarasota.

This article originally appeared on flkeysnews.com.

This story was originally published July 18, 2017 at 9:01 AM with the headline "He was handing out $50 tips at a cafe. Police then charged him with bank robbery."