Police needed just 22 minutes yesterday to solve a clumsy bank robbery in O'Hara.

The suspect, Arthur D. Ross, walked into the National City Bank on Freeport Road, demanded money from a teller and hustled out the door with his loot at 9:08 a.m., said O'Hara police Superintendent James Farringer.

Mr. Ross, 23, of Blawnox, was in handcuffs by 9:30, Superintendent Farringer said.

Blawnox police caught him driving a maroon BMW with a bag containing $1,508 that had been stolen from the bank. A dye pack that a teller placed with the cash exploded on the money, giving the evidence a distinctive mark.

Witnesses said Mr. Ross wore a bandanna and baseball cap during the robbery. A postal worker who saw him throw clothing out of a car called police with a description of the vehicle and its location.

Soon after, Blawnox officers spotted Mr. Ross driving near Freeport and Old Freeport roads. He pulled over and surrendered as the arresting officers and police from 12 other jurisdictions closed in.

The motive, Superintendent Farringer said, was desperation.

"This unfortunately is a man who's down on his luck," he said of Mr. Ross. "He lost one job, his wife is pregnant and he was working part-time as a cook. He made a poor decision."

He said Mr. Ross confessed to the robbery after Allegheny County police arrived to complete the arrest.

Superintendent Farringer said Mr. Ross was not armed, though the teller did not know it. When he walked into the bank, he identified himself as a robber and told her to hand over the money from her drawer.

Police were trying to determine if the getaway car belonged to Mr. Ross. The BMW he drove did not match its licensing records, Superintendent Farringer said.