By Nathan Duke
At all five locations, the robber handed a note to a bank teller demanding money and then walked out of the banks with an undetermined amount of cash, police said. No injuries were reported in any of the five incidents.The suspect is believed to be between 25 years and 35 years old. The suspect's weight has been estimated anywhere between 170 and 250 pounds and he is thought to be about 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-10, police said. The man wore a long black North Face coat, a black baseball cap and blue jeans in all the descriptions of the robber given to authorities, police said.Police would not verify if the suspect was armed, how much money had been stolen in the five robberies or whether they believed the same man had been involved in each robbery. Nevertheless, the police cited the robber in each instance as wearing the same clothes and using the same methods to steal from the banks.The suspect struck first on Dec. 2 about 2:14 p.m. at the Ridgewood Savings Bank, at 71-02 Forest Ave. in Ridgewood. He demanded money in a written note, which was given to a bank teller, and then walked out of the bank.On Dec. 20, the man performed a similar operation around noontime at Banco Popular in Ridgewood, located at 918 Seneca Ave, police said. On Dec. 23, similar robberies occurred at two Williamsburg, Brooklyn banks- a Banco Popular at 15 Graham Ave., and a Chase Bank at 225 Havemeyer St. The first robbery on Dec. 23 took place around 12:15 p.m. and the second took place about an hour later, according to police.Police said the robber struck a fifth time on Dec. 26 at a North Fork Savings Bank in Elmhurst, using the same methods as in the four previous robberies. The suspect entered the bank at 89-01 Queens Blvd. around 12:11 p.m. and demanded money via written note, police said.The New York Police Department is hoping anyone with information about the robberies contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. They said all calls are kept confidential.Reach reporter Nathan Duke by email at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
