By:LARRY MAIER
Police asking for public's help with case that might involve local resident
The man who police say robbed the East Meadow branch of the Dime Savings Bank at 501 Bellmore Ave. two months ago has struck again, this time on Friday Oct. 12. The man is also thought to be responsible for robbing the Merrick branch of the Roslyn Savings Bank twice since Sept. 24 and Baldwin's North Fork Savings Bank on Aug. 30.
Fleet Bank at 2310 Hempstead Tpke. in East Meadow was also robbed on Oct. 12, but police are calling that a coincidence.
Robbery Squad Det. Sgt. Gary Schriffen said the close proximity of the five bank robberies leads police to believe that the suspect might live in one of the three communities.
"We think he's local," said Schriffen. "East Meadow, Baldwin and Merrick, that's a very confined area. A radius of just a couple of miles would cover all" of the banks.
Because the suspect might be a local, police are asking for the community's help.
Witnesses have described the suspect as a white male, 40-50 years old, 5'5" to 5'8" tall with a medium build. In each of the robberies, he threatened a teller with a silver handgun. During the most recent East Meadow robbery, the suspect wore a dark jacket and blue baseball hat. He often wears tinted eyeglasses.
The suspect might also drive dark-colored vehicle, possibly a 2-door, older-model Cadillac with a tinted rear window.
Schriffen said that, in the past, the public has helped in identifying and reporting suspects in similar cases.
"Very frequently when we put a picture in the newspaper, someone recognizes it as someone they know," said Schriffen. "We follow it up, and indeed it is often that same person that they know."
And police believe the suspect might strike again.
"Usually, a guy has one good score and stops," said Det. Jim Skopek. "But this guy's on a spree."
Police encourage anyone with information about the suspect to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. A reward of up to $2,000 for valid information is offered, and all callers will remain anonymous.
The Dime Savings Bank in East Meadow was previously robbed on Aug. 16. The Roslyn Savings Bank in Merrick, 2111 Merrick Ave., was robbed on Sept. 24 and again on Oct. 6. The North Fork Bank in Baldwin is at 1800 Grand Ave.
