SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah — A man has been charged with robbing two banks recently in the Salt Lake area — and during one, authorities say he used an Uber to flee the scene.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday that 35-year-old David Converse Harris was indicted on the pair of robberies, which he allegedly committed on Oct. 31 and Nov. 2.
The first bank Harris is charged with robbing was Brighton Bank at 93 W. 3300 South. Authorities say at 3:47 pm, he handed a note to a teller, which read: "Money in till now! Do not alert anyone! No one needs to be hurt right? Wait until I leave to contact authorities." The teller gave him money, along with a dye pack of "bait money" that exploded after he left.
Investigators obtained the license plate number of the car in which Harris left, and it turned out to be an Uber driver. The driver told police that he had picked up a man in the same plaza as the bank. He said the man had red dye on his hands and jacket, and smoke was apparently coming from his pocket. The driver told the man he couldn't get in his car unless he got rid of whatever was causing the smoke; police later discovered the dye pack on the ground near the bank. Investigators also determined that the Uber driver took the man to his home in Salt Lake City.
Police said Harris did not wear a mask during the robbery, and a detective from the Taylorsville Police Department recognized him. Harris had recently been convicted of robbery and aggravated robbery with a firearm and was on probation; he was also identified by probation officers as the man in the bank's surveillance camera footage.
Police learned on Nov. 2 that Harris was at a motel in Midvale. Officers saw him getting into a Lexus SUV — which they later determined was stolen — and attempted to apprehend him, but he fled in the vehicle. Officers pursued for a short time but determined it was too dangerous to continue.
Later that same day, a Chase Bank in Millcreek was robbed. Officers reviewed surveillance footage and matched the clothes worn by the suspect to what they saw Harris wearing when he fled from the motel.
Then on Nov. 3, Salt Lake City Police reported that the same SUV fled from them at another motel. Later that day, he was spotted in the SUV in Tooele County. This spurred a lengthy pursuit into Salt Lake County through multiple cities. Police say Harris avoided several spike strips and drove recklessly — driving at high speeds, driving on sidewalks and going into oncoming traffic.
The vehicle was finally spiked successfully, and Harris allegedly drove onto the Jordan River Parkway Trail. There, he crashed into a concrete barrier and tried to flee on foot, but was caught. Authorities said he appeared to be under the influence of narcotics when he was arrested.
The FBI is leading the investigation, and Harris faces federal charges.
