Telltale Sweatshirt Leads To'Presidential' Bank Robber

DAVENPORT, Iowa - (08/02/05) -- A man believed to have participatedin one of three bank robberies the same time President Bush andSenator John Kerry made campaign stops here a year ago, wasarrested after police identified him from a sweatshirt he wore in asubsequent credit union hold-up. DeCarlos Smith made the mistake ofwearing the same garb when he robbed Scott Community Schools CU twomonths after committing the campaign-stop hold-up, police said.Smith's hold-up was one of three that occurred while Bush and Kerrywere diverting police during downtown campaign stops. The stopswere the first time the two campaigns landed in the same town onthe same day, just a few blocks away from each other. The firstrobbery came at 10:45 am at Ralston and Community CU, about thetime the President stepped off his plane; a half-hour later anarmed man held-up First National Bank; and 20 minutes later Smithhit Southeast National Bank, according to police. Smith wasidentified from a surveillance video taken at the Scott CommunitySchools CU heist, during which he wore the same sweatshirt with'BBJC 19-77' displayed on the front.