Bank Robber Behind Bars Thanks In Part to Stathakis Cleaning Staff

Stathakis makes the news after the work of their cleaning staff helped catch a Wayne county bank robber. 

Stathakis makes the news a few weeks ago after the work of their cleaning staff helped catch a Wayne county bank robber. According to the News-Herald, James McKellip, accused of robbing banks in at least three cities, made a series of blunders that led to his swift capture. In one of the robberies, at a PNC bank in Ecorse, the suspect fled the bank after demanding money from a teller with a barely legible demand note. The quick thinking teller stayed calm and gave McKellip a few stacks of low denomination bills. She piled them up until it appears the suspect got nervous, grabbed the cash and fled the bank, but not before walking right into the sparkling clean double glass doors, banging his head and leaving a perfect hand print on the glass.

Detective Tim Sassak noted that the suspect left a pristine palm print on the glass that Ecorse Police Officer and evidence technician Craig Cieszkowski was able to lift from the glass door. The perfect palm print was then run through the automated fingerprint identification system at the Dearborn Police Department where they got a hit on McKellip. McKellip was later captured by the Fugitive Task Force. As Detective Sassak said, "Four and a half hours after that, my suspect was sitting in front of me in handcuffs."

 "Four and a half hours after that, my suspect was sitting in front of me in handcuffs."   -Detective Sassak

Police say McKellip is facing life in prison after multiple charges for a number of area bank robberies. The good work of the Stathakis cleaning staff was instrumental in helping quickly identify and capture McKellip before he could rob any more banks or risk any more lives. Likewise, the perfect hand print on the well-cleaned surface of the door is a critical part of the case against McKellip. Thank you to the Stathakis team for their great work. This case makes it clear that good cleaning can make a big difference. As we like to say, it's ALL about people here at Stathakis!