Man spoke to suspect moments before hostage-taking at South Fort Myers bank

Reporter: Taylor Wirtz Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:
Bank of America
Bank of America branch located in Bell Tower in South Fort Myers. Credit: WINK

A man is sharing details of a conversation he had with a suspect who threatened to bomb a bank and was killed by a SWAT sniper during a hostage situation.

Several customers who escaped the lobby spoke to WINK News about the incident on Tuesday.

One man spoke with the suspect moments before he attempted to rob the bank and took hostages, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Javier Torres spoke with Sterling Ramon Alavache in the lobby, three minutes before he jumped on the counter screaming he had a bomb. Torres said Alavache stopped him and asked for help, saying that he needed to call his mom but his phone was dead.

Torres offered Alavache his phone, but Alavache didn’t know his mom’s number by heart. Torres said he seemed agitated and showed signs of a mental health issue.

Torres then stepped outside to get something from his truck, telling Alavache he would be back in a few minutes to check on him, but when Torres tried to get back into the bank he saw people running.

“He told me that he was having money problems. You know, he’s here trying to straighten it out with the bank. He needed his mom to help out with some stuff. I figured it was just a rough day for him,” said Torres.

Torres told WINK News he couldn’t stop thinking about what happened if he hadn’t stepped outside. He wondered if Alavache might still be alive or if he himself would’ve ended up as a hostage.

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