By Anthony J. Machcinski
KEARNY — The Chase Bank, located on the corner of Kearny and Johnston Aves. was robbed in broad daylight on the morning of Jan. 10.
A male entered the bank around 10:03 a.m. and handed the teller a handwritten note, demanding $3,000. He then told the teller, “Don’t be stupid, I have a gun” – a claim that couldn’t be proven or disproven since he never physically produced the weapon.
The suspect (as described by Scene Incident Commander Det. Sergeant Robert Maguire) is described as a white or Hispanic male between 5’8” and 6’ tall and 35-45 years of age. Dressed in a 3/4 length jacket, dark pants and a wool hat with a scarf or a band covering his mouth, he has an average build and a larger than average nose. He walks slightly hunched over.
After leaving the bank with $2,000 the suspect moved south towards Johnston Ave. Initial reports mentioned that the suspect may have entered a car waiting on the Harrison border, but that report has since been disproved.
Kearny police and the F.B.I. are investigating the incident. Police collected evidence from the bank, as well as from the written note. It was then turned over to the F.B.I. in Washington, D.C. for analysis.
Maguire doesn’t feel that this robbery is part of a string. He believes that it was conducted as a “need for cash” robbery.
Officer John Plaugic will be the lead detective for the case.
