Saugus Eastern Bank armed robbery suspect indicted

SALEM – A Saugus man authorities say robbed a Saugus bank at gunpoint in September was indicted Wednesday by an Essex County grand jury.Anthony W. DeSantis, 33, of 399 Lincoln Ave., Saugus, is charged with armed robbery, a crime that could net him a possible life sentence.The charge stems from the Sept. 23 holdup at the Eastern Bank branch, located at 605 Broadway in Saugus.According to reports, the robber entered the bank at about 4:40 p.m. and allegedly handed a bank teller a note saying, “I have a gun. Give me all the money. No $20?s only $50?s and $100?s. Nobody will get hurt.”The teller, in fear of his life, handed over $2,350 in cash and the robber fled on foot.During the holdup, the silent alarm was set off and police quickly responded. DeSantis was found hiding not far from the bank on Forest Street with the money in his possession and allegedly made a statement to police implicating himself in the robbery.Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Kirshenbaum is prosecuting the case.Indictments are not an indication of guilt, rather it is a legal process that allows a case to be transferred from District Court to Superior Court, allowing for a more severe punishment.