Crime & Safety

Scotch Plains, Springfield Police Investigating Robberies at Unity Bank Branches

Man flees Unity Bank branch with undetermined amount of money.

Scotch Plains police are looking for a man who robbed the Unity Bank branch at 2222 South Avenue shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday and potentially also robbed the Unity Bank branch on Mountain Avenue in Springfield around 10:30 a.m.

According to Lt. Brian Donnelly, a man dressed in black entered the bank, produced a silver handgun and demanded money at the Scotch Plains branch.

After being given an undetermined amount of cash, the man fled from the bank. Lt. Donnelly said that at present, police are not certain whether the man had a vehicle or any accomplices.

No shots were fired in the robbery and no one was injured. Police are questioning bank employees and are unsure how many customers were in the building at the time of the robbery, Lt. Donnelly said.

Shortly after at 10:32 a.m., a holdup alarm at the Unity Bank branch on Mountain Avenue in Springfield was activated. Springfield police responded to the scene and were informed that a man had entered the bank, produced a note stating that he had a gun, and demanded money.

Det. Judd Levenson of Springfield Police told Patch that the suspect has been described as a man with a dark complexion, between 5' 8" and 5'9", and 160 to 180 pounds, with a scruffy salt-and-pepper beard, wearing a dark baseball cap, dark denim jeans, a long-sleeved shirt with no collar, gloves and tinted glasses.

Police said that while the suspect in Springfield is very similar to the one in Scotch Plains, they are not yet certain if the two incidents were related. The FBI out of Newark is leading the investigation, with Scotch Plains and Springfield's assistance.

Police are currently reviewing video from both banks, along with video from Cioffi's Deli in Springfield. The suspect is said to have run out of the bank, past Cioffi's, and down Remer Avenue, where a vehicle may have been waiting on him.

Police Chief Brian Mahoney told Patch that police are currently reviewing the bank's security videos to try and get a better physical description of the man in the incident there. Initial descriptions given by employees have been sent out on county and state police radio. Right now they're working with partial leads of vehicle descriptions and partial license plates that may have been involved.

Police also canvassed the surrounding neighborhood off Hetfield Avenue and Shady Lane this morning to talk to residents.

Both Unity Bank branches are closed indefinitely today while the investigation continues.


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