Attempted Robbery At Apple Bank Leads To Arrest Of Coney Island Man Suspected Of 10-Day Bank Heist Spree
The man police believe attempted the March 26 robbery of Apple Bank at 1973 86th Street is now in handcuffs, and is accused of going on a 10-day bank heist spree that hit three banks successfully before being turned away at the Bensonhurst branch.
Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson announces charges against Michael Rodriguez, 33, accusing him of robbing three banks and attempting to rob a fourth, all between March 16 and March 26.
Rodriguez faces multiple charges of larceny and robbery, among others, after making off with more than $23,000 in total.
“We simply will not allow anyone to rob our banks in broad daylight and terrorize bank tellers in the process. We will hold the Defendant accountable for this bank robbery spree,” Thomspon said in a release.
According to prosecutors, Rodriguez allegedly walked into each bank and handed the bank teller a hand-written note – all in the same pen, type of paper, and identical wording including misspellings.
The note demanded money and said he had a gun. The suspect never spoke a word.
Surveillance footage captured the suspect, believed to be Rodriguez, in each of the locations, wearing a hooded black full-length North Face coat.
According to prosecutors, Rodriguez’s first heist was the Flushing Bank, 4616 13th Avenue, where he made off with $5,761 on March 16. Then he scored $485 from Investor’s Bank at 431 Court Street on March 19. Two days later, he allegedly hit another Flushing Bank, this time at 7102 3rd Avenue, where he netted a whopping $16,943.
On March 26, he hit Apple Bank at 1973 86th Street. Bensonhurst Bean was the first to report on the robbery, and the DA notes that the suspect was turned away by a teller.
Following that job, Rodriguez was busted the very same day. He was cuffed at his 2860 West 23rd Street home in Coney Island. The DA said police matched the defendant’s fingerprints to those found on a note from the March 19 incident. The note from the Bensonhurst job was found in the defendant’s car after his arrest.
