DENHAM SPRINGS, La. — Denham Springs Police arrested a man Tuesday accused of robbing a man of $1,100 at gunpoint at an ATM.
After a short foot pursuit, police arrested Shine Bridges and booked him into the Livingston Parish Detention Center. He is being held on a $150,500 bond.
“He pulls a gun on us”
The victim spoke with Unfiltered with Kiran and recalled what happened at Neighbors Federal Credit Union on Rushing Rd. as he tried to make a deposit.
“I saw the guy walking away at first, thought nothing of it,” the victim, who does not want to be identified, said. “I thought it was just a guy walking right off the road behind the bank. I put my card in and start the process. I go to put the money in and he starts walking back toward us. He walked on the passenger side first, then made his way around. While the machine’s counting the money, he comes up and pulls a gun on us and puts it in my face. I took off in my car.”
After leaving the credit union, the victim said he went to the south side of the interstate and called police. The victim said Denham Springs police arrested Bridges at Unos Dos Tacos, less than one mile from where the incident happened.
“He (Bridges) was wearing a mask,” the victim stated. “He was decked out concealing himself. He had different color clothing on, so they were able to spot him while he was there.”
The victim said when he noticed Bridges, he didn’t think that he was a threat to their safety initially.
“I’m a people person, so I try and give people the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “People wear masks all the time now, so it’s not uncommon to see that. You try your best to not profile, not think anything, just let people be people.”
Victim impacts
The incident happened at around 7 p.m. and the victim said the robbery will change how he conducts certain business.
“I definitely won’t go to an ATM during the hours that they’re closed, especially because there are more eyes during the day.” the victim said. “I probably won’t even do business carrying cash anymore. Probably just going to wire transfer things, because then I don’t have to carry cash. Keeping my family safe is of the utmost importance to me. I don’t want to put anybody in a situation they don’t need to go through.”
The victim admitted it was a less-than-ideal situation, but he also knows that it could’ve ended a lot worse. He also added some advice for others to help avoid a similar situation if possible.
“I think it worked out the best scenario possible even though it was a crappy situation,” he said. “Me not carrying a gun or putting up a fight against the guy was good because it could’ve turned out a lot worse.
“You have to be aware of your surroundings,” he said. “Know there are people who want what you have but being aware of where you are at all times is important. Also, try to de-escalate before you escalate. Just keep everybody safe.”
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Why do they no longer list the address of the criminals???