Handsome Guy Bandit Caught in Mississippi, Police Say

Bandit tried to ingest pills before capture, police say

The Handsome Guy Bandit, the armed man who police say robbed more than a dozen North Texas banks, has been caught, officials said Tuesday morning.

According to Richardson police, Steven Ray Milam, 44, was arrested at about 10 a.m. in Jackson County, Miss., after a pursuit that ended in gunfire.

Moments after receiving an alert to be on the lookout for a red BMW, officers in Mississippi spotted one on Interstate 10 near Pascagoula.  Officers ran the vehicle's plates and confirmed it was the vehicle sought in connection with a recent bank robbery in Richardson.

Officers tried to initiate a stop, but the driver refused to pull over. Jackson County, Miss., Sheriff Mike Byrd said the interstate was then blocked off and the BMW's tires were shot out, forcing the driver to stop. 

Officers said the man then tried to consume a large amount of pills before he was taken into custody.

Officers confirmed the driver's identity as Milam and notified authorities in Texas of his capture.  Milam is currently being treated for the ingestion of the pills and is expected to recover.

The Handsome Guy Bandit has been implicated in more than 12 North Texas robberies, including one at a Richardson Compass Bank last Saturday in which the bandit fired at police officers several times.

During that robbery, police said the bandit dropped a keyfob that detectives traced to a car owned by Milam. After searching the car, police said they recovered a mask, gun and money.

At that time, Richardson police said they were searching for Milam, a man who owns a funeral business in Tyler, in connection with the robberies.

The Handsome Guy Bandit has been so named due to the professional, realistic-looking mask worn in the robberies.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

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