Man Allegedly Commits New Year’s Eve Robbery of Chase Bank in Elmwood Park, NJ

Elmwood Park police are looking for a man who allegedly robbed a local bank on New Year’s Eve.

According to police, the suspect entered the Chase bank on Broadway in Elmwood Park, New Jersey. The incident reportedly occurred just before the bank was set to close for the day.

The suspect allegedly walked up to a bank teller and handed her a note. The note reportedly indicated that the suspect had a gun and would shoot the teller unless she gave him cash. At one point, the suspect allegedly warned the teller to not trigger the bank’s panic alarm.

After the teller gave the suspect roughly $500 in cash, the suspect allegedly ran away and fled the scene on foot.

The good news is that no employees or customers in the bank were injured.

Officers from the Bergen County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit searched the area for the suspect, but they were unable to find him.
Elmwood Park NJ police released a description of the suspect. He is reportedly a white or Hispanic male in his 20s. He has a thin build and is approximately 5-foot-8. According to witnesses, the suspect wore a black hooded sweatshirt and has several tattoos on his hands.

Elmwood Park police and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office are collaborating on the investigation. At this time, investigators have not identified any suspects.

If the suspect is eventually identified and apprehended, he could face serious criminal penalties. That’s because N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1 classifies robbery as a first degree criminal offense when the offender threatens to use a deadly weapon. A conviction for first degree robbery could result in a sentence of 10–20 years in NJ State Prison.

For additional information about this case, see the NJ.com article entitled “Bank Robbed in Elmwood Park New Year’s Eve.”