Dad, son accused in bank robberies

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- A father and son accused of robbing banks in Arkansas and Missouri were in jail Thursday in Logan County, where they were apprehended after a robbery in Caulksville the day before.

Bill D. Barnes, 63, of Bentonville and his son, William C. Barnes, 36, of Fort Smith were arrested about 45 minutes after a First Western Bank branch was robbed east of Fort Smith on Wednesday.

Police say the men also are suspected of twice robbing the Hometown Bank in Jane, Mo.

All three robberies involved armed men wearing masks, authorities said.

Logan County Sheriff Mark Limbird said a man arrived at the bank branch at 1:45 p.m. in a stolen pickup and robbed the bank of an undisclosed amount of money. The sheriff said the robber pistol-whipped a patron and then fled in the pickup, which he soon abandoned.

"He had stolen a vehicle earlier that day and left it abandoned in Franklin County," Limbird said.

The sheriff said that after the stolen vehicle was abandoned, William Barnes picked up his father in a minivan.

A farmer saw two men drive a minivan out from behind a farmer's water well in Franklin County near the Logan County line. The sheriff said the farmer noticed the pickup had been left behind and became suspicious.

"He knew that they must have exchanged [the vehicles]," Limbird said.

After the farmer notified authorities, deputies from Logan and Franklin counties and Arkansas State Police patrolled Arkansas 22, Limbird said.

"We really saturated the back roads," Limbird said. "We knew sooner or later they were going to end up in Lavaca or Charleston."

The suspects were pulled over on Arkansas 22 in Charleston and were arrested at 2:45 p.m., Limbird said.

Officers recovered a handgun they believe was used in the robbery, Limbird said.