Police: Columbia bank robbery suspect responsible for two others

Columbia police Thursday night said one of the men charged following a robbery at Missouri Credit Union on Buttonwood Drive Wednesday is responsible for two other Columbia bank robberies.

Police charged Vicente Soto, 27, from Kirksville and Joshua Harrington, 23, from Columbia for the Wednesday incident.

Officers alleged Harrington also robbed the Landmark Bank on Kennesaw Ridge Road on August 6 and was also responsible for the previous Missouri Credit Union robbery on Buttonwood Drive on June 21.

Soto and Harrington are charged for the Wednesday robbery. Prosecutor Andi Hayes has requested a $150,000 bond on both men.

Soto has a lengthy criminal history, and had 5 outstanding warrants in Macon and Adair counties for resisting arrest, stealing a car, possession of drug paraphernalia, and traffic offenses.

Court documents said Soto and Harrington ran into the bank, where Harrington jumped behind the teller counter and took money from cash drawers. Soto allegedly stood by a teller station before the two ran out with an unknown amount of cash and coins in plastic bags.

A bank customer apparently followed Harrington and Soto to their car and began following them, and was able to give a description of the car to police.

Police chased the suspects through north Columbia until they both got out of the car on foot near Paris and Vandiver around 5:15 p.m.

Police had one suspect at gunpoint at Garnet and Parker after he escaped on a short foot pursuit, according to emergency scanner traffic. Another was taken into custody a short time later.

ABC 17 News confirmed the FBI was at the scene.

Police were following the suspect vehicle, a red 4-door passenger vehicle with tinted windows before 5:30 p.m.