Milltown bank robbery may
be linked to 4 other heists
MILLTOWN — A borough bank was robbed on Monday by a lone bandit who police believe may be the same man responsible for a recent string of bank robberies in East Brunswick, North Brunswick and Highland Park.
According to police, the suspect walked into the Liberty Bank, located in the Ryders Crossing shopping center, at about 2:45 p.m., placed his elbows on the counter, said nothing and held up a note written in blue and red. The note said, "I have a gun. Give me $8,000 or I will shoot you."
Police said the man, who fled on foot with $8,720, may be the same man who robbed the Fleet Bank on Route 18 in East Brunswick on Nov. 21 and the Fleet Bank at 100 Ryders Lane, Milltown, on Nov. 8. Authorities also believe he may be the same man who robbed a North Brunswick bank in September and a Highland Park bank in August.
"The person, the method and the description [of the suspect] is very similar to bank robberies committed in the area," FBI Special Agent Sandra Carroll said.
"We are looking into a possible connection. We have not made that public comment yet. We’re careful before we say, ‘Yes, he’s the person who’s doing it,’" Carroll said.
The suspect was described by Liberty Bank employees as a 5 foot 3 inches tall black male.
Seven employees were in the bank at the time of the robbery. No customers were present, police said.
Witnesses at the Nov. 8 Fleet Bank robbery also told police the suspect was a black male, but described him as being about 5 feet 6 inches with a stocky build. In that robbery, the man also held up a note demanding money and threatening to shoot the teller if he was not given $15,000. In that robbery, the suspect fled on foot with $7,300.
Witnesses at the Nov. 21 Fleet Bank robbery in East Brunswick told police the suspect was a black male, about 5 feet 6 inches and in his 30s. Again, the lone bandit held up a threatening note demanding a fixed sum of money.
The suspect in the East Brunswick Fleet Bank robbery was described by witnesses as wearing a hooded sweatshirt, which partially obscured his face. Again, the robber fled on foot, according to East Brunswick police, who said the suspect took less than $5,000.
Witnesses of this week’s heist at Liberty Bank in Milltown were unable to give police a description of the man’s weight. According to police, the suspect was wearing multiple layers of sweatshirts, making it difficult to ascertain his size.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Milltown Police Department at (732) 828-1100, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (732) 469-7986.