Two bank robberies on Friday

LYNN/SAUGUS – One person was arrested in connection with a bank robbery in Lynn on Friday afternoon, while two suspects were still at large following another bank robbery in Saugus on Friday night.Ian Dooley, 30, of 25 Pine Grove Ave., Lynn, was arrested within minutes after he allegedly held up the East Boston Savings Bank in Wyoma Square shortly before 1 p.m. and faces several charges, according to Police Capt. Mark O’Toole.Dooley allegedly approached the teller and passed a note suggesting he had a weapon, but none was displayed, O’Toole said.The bank employee gave Dooley an undisclosed amount of cash filled with dye packs before he fled the bank on foot, police said.Within a few minutes, police found Dooley covered in red dye while standing in Fauci’s pizza shop on Broadway.The Saugus robbery occurred at about 7 p.m. at the Citizens Bank on Lynn Fells Parkway. A man and a woman passed a note to the teller before leaving the bank with cash. No weapon was shown.As of press time, police were still searching for the suspects, who were described as a white male with a dark-colored knit hat and a female wearing a pink scarf and possibly pink pajama pants.Police were reviewing surveillance tapes from the bank and nearby businesses, including Target, to search for leads.Four bank robberies have occurred since Wednesday on the North Shore, resulting in two arrests so far.O’Toole said Lynn police were investigating the possibility that Dooley was connected to a bank robbery on Wednesday in Swampscott, but would not say with certainty that he was linked.”He’s not connected as of yet but obviously that’s something we’re exploring,” O’Toole said.At about 11 a.m. Wednesday, a man in his 20s walked into the Eastern Bank in Vinnin Square and made off with cash after passing a note.Three hours later, the Sovereign Bank on Route 114 in Peabody was robbed. Police later arrested William Heil, 30, of Rowley after a brief foot chase in the middle of the highway.O’Toole said people in desperation, including drug addicts, often know that more people are carrying cash around the holidays and take advantage of that.”There’s generally an uptick in many different crimes around the holiday season,” he said.Some police departments have been advising local banks over the past week about what to do if they’re robbed.”Over the last week, [police] have been proactively visiting local banks to advise them of the heightened risk of robberies at this time of year and how to respond to them,” said Peabody Detective Peter Olsen.