Records: Businessman takes keys from getaway car, shoots Phoenix bank robber

A neighboring businessman alerted to the robbery of a north Phoenix credit union removed the keys from the getaway car and engaged in a gunbattle with one of the robbers while the other carjacked a couple and fled, according to court documents.

Lyndell Cherry, 29, died in the shootout, and Vincent Jones, 21, was arrested after he wrecked his stolen getaway car and tried to escape on foot, records show.

At about 2 p.m. Wednesday, Cherry and Jones, armed with handguns, entered the Desert Schools Federal Credit Union near Tatum Boulevard and Cactus Road, according to court documents released Thursday.

Cherry jumped onto the counter and demanded money while Jones told the employees to get on the floor.

Meanwhile, a credit-union employee called a neighboring business owner to tell him what was happening. Sean Quaid left his shop and found the robbers' car running outside with no one inside, documents show. Quaid removed the ignition key.

Jones and Cherry ran out, found that the key was missing and returned to the bank to look for it, thinking perhaps a customer had taken it, the documents say. They even dumped out a woman's bag in the process of trying to find it.

Ultimately, they grabbed the key to another person's vehicle and headed out to the parking lot to make their getaway, according to court documents. However, as they were cutting across the parking lot, they encountered a 2001 Chevy Silverado truck that police said they then stole.

The driver was getting out of the truck with his passenger still inside when Jones and Cherry approached, police say.

Quaid saw the new situation unfolding. He told the police that he saw Jones and Cherry point their gun at the driver and decided to get involved.

Quaid told the police that when he raised his gun, Cherry turned and pointed a gun back at him. Quaid said he feared for his safety and fired at Cherry, who police said threw his firearm at Jones and collapsed. Cherry died of his wounds at a hospital.

Quaid said Jones then fled in the Silverado, which struck a building and several vehicles before getting onto Cactus and turning north onto Tatum.

Police said that as Jones approached Thunderbird Road, he ran a red light and slammed into a vehicle. He started running, shedding clothing as he went, records show, but a police officer was able to stop him and take him into custody.

According to police, later confirmed robbing the bank and stealing the car. Police said he also admitted he and Cherry had been involved in previous bank robberies, which authorities are investigating.

Jones was booked into jail on 11 counts, including one count of first-degree murder in Cherry's death, because it occurred in the commission of a felony.