An Elkhart, Ind., man was being held at the Porter County Jail this morning after he admitted robbing the Centier Bank in Valparaiso on Wednesday as well as being involved in a nearly a dozen other bank robberies or attempted robberies in the region, including one in Chesterton, Valparaiso Police said.

Joseph Campbell, 35, was taken into custody at the Speedway gas station at the intersection of Sturdy Road and Morthland Drive, shortly after the Centier at 2707 LaPorte Ave. was robbed, around 1:12 p.m., police said.

According to police, officers were able to locate Campbell as a suspect in the robbery after a witness saw Campbell’s vehicle fill with red smoke as he exited the bank’s parking lot. The witness “immediately became suspicious” and followed the vehicle, a silver four-door, until it stopped at the Speedway, where Campbell was apprehended, police said.

Investigators “later learned the red smoke was from a dye pack inside the money that discharged when the subject exited the bank,” police said.

Police said that Campbell matches the description of the man who had earlier robbed the Centier: 5’ 8’’ to 5’ 10’’, wearing blue jeans, a black leather jacket, a black stocking cap, and gloves, with some facial hair.

No one was injured in the robbery, police said, in which an undisclosed amount of currency was taken.

Campbell himself subsequently admitted robbing the Centier and further admitted his involvement in 11 other bank robberies in Northern Indiana and Michigan, including ones in Chesterton, Hebron, Warsaw, Plymouth, and Rensselaer, police said.

Lt. Det. Dave Cincoski of the Chesterton Police Department confirmed this morning that he has been in contact with the VPD and that Campbell could be a suspect in the attempted robbery in January of the Chase Bank at 105 W. Indiana Ave.

According to police, at 9:38 a.m. on Jan. 12, a man wearing blue jeans, a leather jacket, gloves, and a stocking cap, sporting a Vandyke beard, walked into the customer service area of Chase Bank and presented a note demanding $50 and $100 bills. On being informed by the customer-service rep that she had no access to cash, however, the man left the bank.

Less than 90 minutes later, at 11:02 a.m. on Jan. 12, a man successfully robbed the Hebron branch of 1st Source Bank at 111 W. Sigler St.. The man left with an undisclosed amount of cash after presenting the teller with a note. At the time Hebron Police said that the investigators believed the same suspect was responsible for both the Chase Bank and the 1st Source Bank jobs.

“Campbell is being held at the Porter County Jail pending federal charges for bank robbery,” the VPD said. “Police and the FBI continue to investigate this case.”

Posted 3/4/2010