Four banks in a two-mile radius were hit by robberies in the last two weeks, including two neighboring banks held up back-to-back in Middle Village.
In all four cases, a sole perpetrator matching one of two descriptions used a threatening note to extract money from a teller. It worked at all but one of the banks.
Three of the banks are within blocks of each other along Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village. A fourth bank about a mile and a half away in Ridgewood was robbed Tuesday.
The first location hit was a Chase bank at 74th Street. Police say a Hispanic man in his 40s walked into the branch at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14.
He handed a note to an employee claiming he had a gun and demanding money. He walked out soon after with an unknown amount of cash.
Four doors down and five days later on Jan. 19, a man matching the same description walked into a Capital One at 2:45 p.m. and followed the same pattern, successfully taking an undisclosed sum.
Fifteen minutes earlier, another bank blocks away at Metropolitan Avenue and 79th Place had just been held up with another note.
This stick up though—at a Cross County Federal Savings—was unsuccessful, and police described the perpetrator as a white man in his 30s.
The fourth robbery occurred at 66-77 Fresh Pond Road at Queens County Savings Bank on Jan. 24.
Police again described a white male who passed a threatening note to a teller forcing him to hand over money.
In no case did anyone ever catch a glimpse of the gun referenced.
Police have no estimate on the amounts taken, and banks generally do not disclose that information, but a local branch manager speculated that bandits using notes usually makes off with around $2,000 per bank.
Capt. Michael Cody, commanding officer of the 104th Precinct, said he could not confirm the crimes were committed by the same person but said at least the two on Jan. 19 were most likely connected.
He said there’s currently no suspect.
Nobody was hurt during the robberies, but the crimes indirectly led to one injury on Jan. 19 when a bystander was struck by a police car responding to the scene.
Witnesses said a lieutenant from the 104th Precinct hit a man crossing Metropolitan Avenue between 78th and 79th streets, leaving blood on the pavement and sending the victim to the hospital.
Cars were stopped in the eastbound lane, and when the lieutenant swerved into the oncoming lane to avoid traffic, the pedestrian was hit, witnesses said.
Jack Prainito, a baker in Middle Village, was transported to a local hospital with a head injury.
The cruiser was headed eastbound on Metropolitan towards Cross County Federal Savings.
Prainito works at a bakery at 75-50 Metropolitan Ave. between the two crime scenes and was crossing the street mid-block to go to the store when he was struck, Prainito’s boss, Dominic Catalano, said.
The car was mostly undamaged except for a broken right headlight and some debris scattered in the street.
Catalano said Prainito also seemed mostly unharmed.
After the incident he was walking around and talking despite bleeding from his head.
“He came out OK,” Catalano said.
Police, however, insisted Prainito be transported to a local hospital.
Bystanders gave conflicting reports on whether the lieutenant’s lights were flashing, but witnesses said his siren was off.
Regardless, the 104th’s captain said it was nothing more than an accident.
“The lieutenant was just doing his job,” Cody said. “There’s no fault.”
By Jeremiah Dobruck
Forum Newsgroup Photo by Luis Gronda
j.dobruck@theforumnewsgroup.com
