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GREENSBORO — The tow-truck driver on his way to repossess a car Thursday stopped at Edwardia and West Market streets when something caught his eye.

Three masked men, holding handguns, stormed from the RBC Centura Bank across the street.

An orange cloud of dust rose around them as they ran. A dye pack had exploded in a bag of money.

The bank had just been robbed.

The tow-truck driver followed the men, dialed 911, and within the hour — thanks to his turn-by-turn directions to police dispatchers — four suspects were arrested.

“I wanted to see if it really was what I thought it was, and it was,” said the driver, who requested anonymity because of safety concerns for his family.

“I was mostly just being nosy.”

Police found the getaway vehicle used in the robbery, a gold Mazda MPV minivan, outside building 435 at Ashley Oaks Apartments at 407 Guilford College Road.

A search of the building led to the arrest of Michael Anthony Smith, 25, of Greensboro; Novell Davenport, 29, Troy Holmes, 26, and Jarrelle Maurice Smith, 23, all of Richmond, Va.

Each man has been charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony conspiracy. Police said three men robbed the bank while a fourth served as a getaway driver.

Davenport is in the Guilford County jail in Greensboro under a $500,000 bond. Homes, Michael and Jarrelle Smith are each under a $200,000 bond.

All the bank money was recovered, and no injuries were reported.

“If it hadn’t been for the quick actions of this citizen, this robbery could have gone unsolved,” said police Capt. Janice Rogers.

“Because of his actions, we successfully and quickly made an arrest.”

The driver said the suspects kept looking from the back of the van at him as he followed.

“I thought they might have gotten spooked and might shoot at me,” he said. “I really stayed back.”

The driver said he was the victim of a theft earlier this year and felt that following the robbers — from a safe distance — was the right thing to do.

“I just hate thieves,” he said. “It’s a good story to tell my son.”

This is the second bank robbery police have solved this year, thanks to the help of a private citizen.

“This speaks kudos for the citizens of this city,” Rogers said. “Without their help ... a lot of crimes would go unsolved.”

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com