‘Have a nice day. Stay warm,’ St. Paul bank robber says before leaving with $28K, charges say

ST. PAUL -- Prosecutors say Andre Christopher Nelson pointed a handgun at three tellers while robbing a St. Paul bank of more than $28,000 cash Tuesday morning, Jan. 17. But before he left, he said, “Have a nice day. Stay warm.”

Nelson headed north on Suburban Avenue, apparently unaware that the cash included a tracker, according to criminal charges filed against the 42-year-old St. Paul man on Thursday. He was arrested about a half-mile north of the Huntington Bank branch.

Officers were called to the Battle Creek neighborhood bank on Suburban Avenue, off Ruth Street and Interstate 94, around 9:20 a.m. The tellers said a man, later identified as Nelson, came into the bank carrying a handgun and an Aldi grocery store bag and wearing a mask, sunglasses, gloves and a tan sweater.

They said Nelson pointed the gun at them and demanded that one put money in the bag. He was given $4,752.10. He then went over to the other teller, demanded the money from her drawer and was given $3,549.95.

Nelson demanded even more money. He told the two tellers to go to the back of the bank and pointed the gun at their backs as he followed them, the charges say.

He approached a third teller, held the bag open and pointed the gun directly at her. He asked for money from her drawer and the teller gave him around $20,131, which included a tracker.

It gave police his location and showed he was on foot, and officers found him between apartment buildings in the 2000 block of Wilson Avenue. He was carrying an Aldi bag, which contained the cash, tracker, an unloaded Ruger handgun and a mask, gloves, sunglasses and sweater that matched what the robber wore, according to charges.

Nelson refused to identify himself. However, officers found on him a library card with his name on it.

Later, he declined to be interviewed by police. After being identified by fingerprints, he claimed he found the bag.

Nelson has been charged with three counts of first-degree aggravated robbery and three counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. He remains jailed on $500,000 bail and is scheduled to go before a Ramsey County District judge on the charges Thursday morning.

Nelson was convicted in 2007 of carrying a pistol without a permit. Besides that, his criminal history includes minor traffic offenses.