Two recent bank robberies have taken advantage of terrorism fears in northeast Queens, and police want to defuse the situation.
On Friday, January 22 a “black male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing approximately 200 pounds,” according to the NYPD, entered the Queens County Savings Bank at 247-53 Jamaica Avenue in Bellerose shortly before 9 a.m.
Police say the man, dressed in black shoes and a black jacket, told bank employees he wanted to open an account. Once he had the manager’s attention, cops say he said he had a bomb in his bag, and warned them “Don’t notify anyone.”
He fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash, heading westbound on Jamaica Avenue.
Police sources told The Queens Courier that on Monday, January 25, an unidentified black male, between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighing “about 180 pounds,” entered the Queens County Savings Bank at 224-04 Union Turnpike in Hollis Hills shortly before noon on Monday, January 25.
The man, who was wearing blue pants, a blue trench coat and black sneakers, also produced what appeared to be a bomb – but also turned out to be four traffic flares taped together with a common electronic accessory, police sources said.
The thief was last seen headed south on Springfield Boulevard, with approximately $8,300 in cash, according to police sources.
