The armored truck driver who went missing on December 5 from Jefferson Mall in south Louisville has been captured.
Mark Espinosa, 29, who worked for GardaWorld, vanished with “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” according to a federal criminal complaint, and obtained a ride from a Lyft driver to flee the scene. He was captured by the FBI near Hartford, Connecticut, where he has friends and family.
Several of Espinosa’s family members have been interviewed by the FBI, with authorities finding the suspect did not had any contact with his family since the robbery.
According to the complaint, a GardaWorld employee and Espinosa’s partner on the day in question, Mark Sneed, reported that he and Espinosa arrived at Jefferson Mall to pick up money from several retail stores. Sneed entered the mall and instructed Espinosa to remain with the truck and to meet him on the other side of the mall.
When Sneed exited the mall, the truck was not at the prearranged location. After Sneed contacted mall security, the truck was found in the far rear parking lot of the former Macy’s store, an abnormal location for the vehicle to be parked.
Espinosa, of Louisville, was missing and hundreds of thousands of dollars were also missing from the truck, the complaint reads, and there was no blood or other signs of a struggle inside the truck.
Additionally, Espinosa’s backpack, wallet containing his license and credit cards, coat and service weapon were in the truck. His cell phone battery and back cover of his phone were also found in the back of the truck.
A search warrant of Espinosa’s phone records found that on December 4, 2018, the day before he fled, Espinosa requested a Lyft driver to pick him up near where the truck was found.
Espinosa was hired by GardaWorld, the largest armored car carrier in the U.S., in July 2018.
There was a reward of $60,000 for information leading to his arrest.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
