By Jason Scheer
According to police, on Monday, May 23, a suspect described as a black male, about 40 years old, over 6 feet tall and 180 pounds, entered the Roslyn Savings Bank branch inside the Pathmark at 1897 Front St. in East Meadow.
The man placed a plastic bag on the counter and demanded money from two tellers. After they put an undetermined amount of cash in the bag, the suspect fled. He had black hair and a beard, and was wearing a navy ski cap, a blue and white nylon Perry Ellis jacket and sunglasses.
He matches the description of the man who robbed the Roslyn Savings Bank at 50 Hempstead Turnpike in West Hempstead on Monday, May 16. In the West Hempstead robbery, the suspect had a mustache and was wearing a light-colored shirt and a baseball cap. He carried a black shopping bag.
Both incidents occurred at around the same time of day. The West Hempstead robbery took place at about 2:40 p.m., and the East Meadow robbery occurred at about 3:50 p.m. The banks are about 4 1/2 miles from each other. No one was hurt in either robbery.
A representative of the Nassau County Police Department said there is an ongoing investigation. However, she said that according to the robbery squad, the two incidents appear related. "They do believe it's the same guy," she said.
A patron of the Roslyn Savings Bank in West Hempstead, who asked not to be identified, said that the news is unnerving. "No, it's not a comfortable feeling," he said. "People shouldn't be scared to go to the bank." However, he added, "You can't change what you do. Hopefully the police will catch this guy."
Mark Ricca, the executive vice president of New York Community Bank, the parent company of Roslyn Savings Bank, said that the company is cooperating with police to catch the man, or men, responsible for the crimes. In the meantime, he insists that the individual branches are safe. He pointed out that there is state-of-the art surveillance equipment in every branch, and that tellers undergo extensive training to prepare them for such an occurrence.
Ricca said that after reviewing surveillance tapes at the two facilities, it does not appear the same man committed both crimes. "We don't think we're being targeted," he said. "We just think it's a rash of robberies at this time."
Comments about this story? JScheer@liherald.com or 569-4000 ex. 282.
