Crime

Police investigate links in robberies

Posted

The Nassau County Police Department is investigating links between several bank robberies in the area, including two at the Capital One Bank in Valley Stream.

The first occurred on Feb. 9 at 9:32 a.m. at the Capital One Bank located at 356 N. Central Ave., where he demanded $6,000 before fleeing with the cash the teller gave him. A similar incident occurred on Feb. 14, when a man robbed a Chase Bank in Stewart Manor at 11:51 a.m. before returning to the Capital One Bank several hours later, at 1:06 p.m.

The suspect is described as a white male, 5-foot-7 and clean-shaven with a thin build. He was wearing a black jacket with a hood pulled tight over his head and a black scarf covering his face on Feb 14. Police said he previously wore a light colored sweatshirt.

Detective Sgt. Bill Butler, the lead investigator on the case, said he was confident the first two of the three robberies were committed by the same suspect, but that the third robbery, the second to occur at the branch in less than a week, may have been committed by a different suspect.

“All of the incidents are still under investigation,” Butler said. “We believe the same suspect was involved in all three robberies, but we are not sure about the most recent one. Witnesses at the third robbery identified a tattoo under the suspect’s eye, which was not identified in the other robberies.”

Butler said he plans to speak with witnesses to the first two robberies to find out if anyone noticed the tattoo. “Even if no one saw it, he was covering his face with his scarf and could have covered it, so he may still be the same suspect,” he said.

The investigation has already produced a list of possible suspects, Butler said.