Drama ends with arrest of robbery suspects
After a high-speed chase and a search on the grounds of an East Meadow hospital, a Nassau SWAT team Friday captured two men suspected in the robbery of a Bellmore bank.
Police searched a warren of underground tunnels at Nassau University Medical Center before capturing the suspected getaway driver more than three hours later on hospital grounds, authorities said. The suspected bank robber had been caught earlier after hiding beneath a car in the hospital parking garage, he said.
The suspects, who police said tossed cash from their car during a high-speed chase, were not immediately identified by police.
The drama played out as the hospital and East Meadow schools went on lockdown.
The incident began at about 9 a.m. when a gunman walked into a Bank of America branch at 2464 Merrick Rd. in Bellmore, approached a teller and demanded money, said Det. Lt. Kevin Smith, a police spokesman. After receiving a package of money, he walked out to a waiting getaway car, Smith said.
The incident began at about 9 a.m. when a gunman walked into a Bank of America branch at 2464 Merrick Rd. in Bellmore
The suspects headed north in a four-door sedan traveling Newbridge Road before getting onto the westbound Southern State Parkway, Smith said. Using a description of the car, a Nissan, called in by a witness, a police officer spotted the car and began to follow it, Smith said.
After first driving at relatively low speeds, the getaway car later picked up speed on northbound Merrick Avenue, Smith said. The car made an abrupt right turn near a gas station on Front Street, at which point money was seen being tossed from the vehicle, he said.
The suspects then drove onto Hempstead Turnpike and darted into the emergency room entrance at Nassau University Medical Center, dumping more money before hitting with a curb, Smith said.
The car turned left onto a road behind the main hospital building and went into a parking garage, where the suspects threw yet more cash out of the car, Smith said.
Both suspects got out of the car and fled on foot from the garage, Smith said. Within minutes, one suspect, the man believed to have robbed the bank, was taken into custody after hiding under a Mercedes in the parking lot, Smith said.
The second suspect walked to a higher level of the garage before jumping or falling 30 feet to street level, Smith said. He then disappeared, walking with a limp. Witnesses said he was wearing a white T-shirt.
Black-clad police from the emergency services unit searched underground tunnels on the hospital's 50-acre campus and the hallways of the campus' smaller buildings, Smith said.
Shortly after 12:30 p.m., an officer spotted a man walking about 20 yards from a temporary police command post and questioned him, police said. The officer believed the man looked suspicious, Smith said.
"He's kind of sauntering away from the area," Smith said of the suspect. "Officers think he has a sort of funny look about him. They go over and start to question him. The answers that he's giving are not satisfactory given the circumstances here."
After a brief foot pursuit and struggle, the man was taken into custody, Smith said. The man was wearing clothing over a white T-shirt, he said.
Police still had not recovered a weapon, Smith said. Police believe the weapon used in the heist was a 9-mm handgun, he said.
Police said they recovered much of the money thrown from the car, though Smith could not say how much was recovered.
The hospital was locked down during the search. Nearby East Meadow High School also was on lockdown, as were the district's other schools, according to the district.
The hospital returned to normal about 1 p.m.
Posted Friday, June 20, 2008
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