Would-be bank robber unsuccessful as teller couldn't read his handwritten note

A 29-year-old man was arrested on Monday morning after he tried to rob a bank with a note the teller couldn't read. Jamal Garrett, of Antioch, California was arrested across the street from the Wells Fargo Bank, where police said the man demanded money at about 9:45am.

The attempt was unsuccessful, authorities said, in part because bank employees did not immediately know they were being robbed. The man reportedly walked into the bank and silently produced a note, which the teller couldn't read because of the bad handwriting, Sgt. Tara Nissen said.

The woman went to get her manager to help her decipher the message, during which time the suspect left through a back door. According to Nissen, the bank teller and manager decoded the note together and determined the man had tried to rob them. The pair called Antioch police, who scanned the area in search of the suspect.
Officers found the man after a Somersville Towne Center employee called to report an unwanted guest, Nissen said. The man matched the description of the attempted robbery suspect, and was later identified by witnesses at the bank. Garrett was booked into County Jail in Martinez on attempted robbery charges, as well as for an outstanding warrant for parole violations.