NEW YORK CITY — (NYPD NEWS) — “I had a feeling he was on that bus and when we pulled it over and got inside, there he was,” said Police Officer Lisa Mendoza.
Two NYPD police officers stopped a city bus on the Upper West Side and apprehended a man wanted for numerous bank robberies on Tuesday. At about 10:30 a.m., Sergeant Yolanda Cuadrado sent Police Officers Sarah Frankel and Lisa Mendoza to the HSBC Bank on Amsterdam Avenue. A teller had called 911 after she recognized the man who was wanted for eight bank robberies in Manhattan.
“When the call came over my concern was to get this guy today, because he would definitely strike again,” said Sergeant Yolanda Cuadrado.
While the police officers were inside the location the suspect was sighted at nearby Banco Popular on West 96 Street. As the two police officers were approaching the second location they decided to stop a bus they noticed pulling away from a stop because the bank robbery suspect was known to use public transportation when fleeing.
“When we walked onto the bus he was literally next to the bus driver. I recognized him right away,” said Police Officer Frankel.
The police officers placed the man under arrest and recovered a bag that contained clothing that he was seen wearing at other bank robberies and a note that he was suspected of handing to a teller demanding money. The 34-year-man was charged with robbery.
