Bronx police have arrested a man they believe is responsible for at least 10 bank robberies, Captain Dimitrios Roumeliotis of the 45th Police Precinct announced Thursday, December 4.
Crooks have recently targeted a number of Bronx depositories, including the Capital One, Chase, New York Community Savings, HSBC and Hudson Valley banks on E. Tremont, Allerton and Jerome avenues, White Plains and Gun Hill roads.
Roumeliotis’ precinct alone suffered 24 robberies and 48 grand larcenies in November, up from 14 robberies and 39 grand larcenies during the same month last year. The 45th encompasses Baychester, Coop City, City Island and Throggs Neck.
“It’s been a challenging 28-day period for us,” Roumeliotis said. “Crime is up. We’ve had trouble with robberies, burglaries and grand larcenies. But we’ve made some key arrests, too.”
A thief struck October 27 at E. Tremont Avenue’s New York Community Savings Bank in broad daylight, just blocks from the 45th Precinct station house. Police released surveillance images of the culprit, a five-foot-ten, stocky man in his 30s wearing a navy blue baseball cap, a dark bomber jacket and dark pants.
Days later, an E. Tremont Avenue Chase Bank was hit.
Police struck back after a third holdup – this time at the Throggs Neck branch of HSBC Bank, on the afternoon of December 2.
“We arrived and broadcasted the suspect’s description so quickly he was apprehended two minutes later,” Roumeliotis said.
Officers from the 43rd Precinct caught up with the alleged bank robber on Bruckner Boulevard.
