Police on lookout for suspects in bank thefts

MARBLEHEAD – Local police are searching for a pair of suspects in two afternoon robberies on Tuesday in Swampscott and Marblehead.The first incident happened in Swampscott at Sovereign Bank, located at 495 Paradise Road, at approximately 2:07 p.m. According to Detective Sgt. Timothy Cassidy, the suspect was described as a white male, approximately 6-foot-1, 160 lbs., wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, a bandanna covering his face, purple latex gloves and blue jeans.The suspect passed a note to the teller demanding money and saying he had a gun. He then took the note back.”While in the bank, the manager, not knowing the robbery was taking place, told the suspect to remove his hood and the suspect replied, ‘No, just give me the money,'” Cassidy said.The suspect then bolted out of the bank without any money and ran toward Marshalls, while officers began searching the area, assisted by Salem, Lynn, Marblehead and State Police, along with State K-9, State Police Air Wing and the FBI bank robbery task force.Apparently believing the suspect had fled onto the “back nine” holes of Tedesco Country Club, the State Police K-9 unit and the Air Wing searched for the suspect, while officers spread out along Salem Street. Workers at the country club cleared golfers from that section of the course, which is bordered by Salem Street, the rear of Vinnin Square and residential neighborhoods in Swampscott.Then, at approximately 2:35 p.m., Marblehead police received a 911 call that a man had just robbed the Bank of America branch, located at 66 Pleasant St. According to State Police Sgt. Byron Rizos, the suspect did not show a weapon but told tellers that he was armed and that his accomplice was waiting in a getaway car, which may have been an older model, four-door white sedan.”It’s an extremely out of the way location,” he said while at the scene in Marblehead. “If you didn’t know about it and you were walking down the street, you wouldn’t know there was a bank here.”A surveillance image captured of the suspect in the Marblehead bank shows him stuffing a wad of cash in his pocket.Cassidy said the suspect matched the description from the Swampscott robbery attempt and surveillance photos confirmed that the descriptions match the suspect responsible for both robberies.Both incidents remain under investigation.Anyone with information is asked to call Swampscott police at 781-595-1111 or Marblehead police at 781-631-1212.