LAPLACE — A New Orleans man robbed a LaPlace bank through the use of a note and escaped for a short amount of time before being arrested Friday afternoon, authorities said.

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre said a man walked into First American Bank on Belle Terre Boulevard in LaPlace at approximately 1:45 p.m. Friday, giving a teller a written note demanding money or he would hurt her.

The robber was given an undisclosed amount of money and fled the bank on foot.

While deputies were en route to the call, Tregre said, 911 dispatchers provided a description of the perpetrator.

“Within minutes of the initial call, deputies located a suspect matching the description of the perpetrator near the intersection of Madewood Drive and Bayonne and detained him for further investigation,” Tregre said, adding detectives identified the suspect as Tracy Bell, 42, of New Orleans.

Deputies detained Bell and recovered a pellet gun and stolen money.

No one was injured during the robbery.

Bell was booked with armed robbery with a firearm and resisting an officer. He remains in custody in lieu of a $66,500.00 bond.