Patrick Lee Schroeder

Upset after a hold was placed on a deposit, a 72-year-old Cape Coral man is accused of attempting to rob a bank with a firearm and then leading multiple law enforcement agencies on a chase that ended on I-75 Wednesday.

Patrick Lee Schroeder has been charged with robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, eluding police and resisting without violence after he attempted to rob the Bank of America on Skyline Boulevard in Cape Coral, the Cape Coral Police Department said in a release issued Thursday

CCPD officials said Schroeder, his face covered by a black T-shirt, brandished a rifle at a security guard at the bank and quickly left in his BMW after being denied entry. The license plate on his car was spray-painted out.

“Officers were able to quickly locate the suspect vehicle as the driver drove away from the incident location at a high rate of speed. Marked patrol units attempted a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle, which disregarded lights and sirens and continued to flee,” the release states.

The pursuit extended into Fort Myers where the Lee County Sheriff’s Office assumed the lead. Schroeder continued to move down the highway despite a caravan of law enforcement vehicles in tow, officials said.

Eventually, LCSO conducted a pit maneuver near mile marker 125.5 on I-75, where Schroeder was detained without further incident.

Police said an AR-style rifle was located on the passenger’s seat.

CCPD said Schroeder was apparently upset with the bank.

“The investigation revealed that Mr. Schroeder was at the bank earlier in the day and attempted to deposit a check and withdraw the funds. A hold was placed on the check, which infuriated Mr. Schroeder. Mr. Schroeder returned to his residence, grabbed his rifle, sprayed painted his license plate, and draped a black t-shirt over his head to conceal his identity. He then returned to the bank with the intent to rob this location.”

Schroeder was transported to Lee County Jail where he remained in custody as of press time Thursday. His bond had not been set.