Clayton News Daily

By Joel Hall

jhall@news-daily.com

A Jonesboro man went to a barbershop in the Flint River Village Shopping Center last week expecting to get haircut. Instead, he was arrested by Jonesboro Police on bank robbery charges.

Mitchell Kitchens, 29, was arrested around 4:30 p.m., Friday, on charges of robbing the Wachovia Bank at 154 South Main St., in Jonesboro, last month. Police found him after receiving a tip from a family member, according to Jonesboro Police spokeswoman Lt. Detective Victoria Wright.

"Detectives went around the city to try to find places where he hung out," Wright said. "He was actually getting a haircut at a barbershop on Flint River Road. A phone call was made to a family member and they told us where he was."

Wright said Kitchens matches the description of the man who robbed the Jonesboro Wachovia on Jan. 26 at about 4 p.m. She said the suspect - who wore a black New York Knicks jacket, a black hood, and a black New York Yankees hat - initiated the robbery by handing a note to a teller.

"A lot of the officers saw the surveillance tapes and said he [Kitchens] looked similar to someone we have dealt with before," said Wright. She said Kitchens has no prior history of bank robbery, but has a history of minor offenses, including "criminal trespass" and "disturbances."

Wright would not say how much money was taken from the Wachovia, but said "the money wasn't recovered."

Kitchens was taken to the Clayton County Jail. On Tuesday, Wright did not know whether Kitchens was being held with or without bond.

"Anytime you can catch someone who has robbed a bank, that's huge," she said. "We did a really good job and the officers worked together and got the arrest."