FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): The Christmas Eve armed robbery of the Chase Bank in Waynedale has resulted in two people being arrested by Fort Wayne Police and the FBI. One of them was the manager of that branch.

Fort Wayne Police say that 43 year old Horia Malutan and 35 year old Kelly Krieger were arrested and charged with armed bank robbery in connection with the early morning holdup at the Chase Bank on Lower Huntington Road.

The robbery happened just before 8:30 a.m. December 24, 2019. Malutan was allegedly observed on security camera footage pretending to use the ATM in front of the bank prior to the business opening for the day. When the first employee, who had entered the bank and shut off the alarm, was unlocking the door for Krieger, the bank manager, the suspect forced his way into the bank at gunpoint and had them open the vault.

Malutan allegedly forced the two to fill a duffel bag with money; then told them to lie face down on the floor, not to look up, and to count to 100 or he would shoot them. He then left the bank through a back door.

“Without the help of the public this case would have been difficult to solve. The FBI appreciates the citizens who provided information and are grateful for their willingness to come forward,” said Supervisory Special Agent Jim Keszei, FBI Indianapolis Fort Wayne Resident Agency. “The FBI enjoys an outstanding relationship with the Fort Wayne Police Department and together – FBI Agents working side by side with Fort Wayne robbery detectives – were able to make an arrest in this investigation.”

“The Fort Wayne Police Department is grateful for all who have contributed, gathered and processed information that lead to the arrests of Horia Malutan and Kelly Krieger. We are fortunate to live in a community that values law and order and has citizens willing to step forward with information in an attempt to keep this community safe.”