A former Marion County sheriff’s deputy, Christina Gates Thagard, 40, was arrested Saturday following an armed bank robbery in Ocala, according to the Ocala Police Department.
Police say Thagard allegedly robbed a TD Bank on SE 17th Street around 9:30 a.m. She reportedly handed a teller a note demanding $50,000 in large bills and threatened to use a gun if alarms or dye packs were involved.
Surveillance footage captured Thagard wearing a hoodie, sunglasses, a medical mask, and a glove on one hand. Thagard reportedly fled with about $5,000 before officers arrived.
Authorities located and stopped her vehicle on SW College Road within 11 minutes of the incident. Dashcam footage released by police shows the arrest.
Inside the car, officers recovered a purse containing $5,015, a mask, and a latex glove. No firearm was found, though robbery with a firearm is among the charges filed against her.
According to a report by Click Orlando, Christina Gates Thagard last worked with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in April 2016. The arrest and investigation were also covered by WESH 2 News and FOX 35 Orlando.
She was booked into the Marion County Jail and remains under investigation.
