Crime & Safety

UPDATED: Brazen Merrimack Valley Bandit Hits As Many As Three More Banks

Police believe bank robber may have an accomplice in a waiting getaway car.

UPDATED at 3 p.m.

The so-called Merrimack Valley Bandit has struck as many as three more times, and for the second time he has gone back and hit a bank he had previously struck.

Dracut Police reported that a branch of TD Bank at 1225 Bridge St. was robbed just prior to the 4 p.m. closing time on Sunday, according to the Eagle Tribune. He may have hit banks in Westford on Monday and Chelmsford on Tuesday.

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Because of the description of the robber and his m.o., investigators say they believe it is the same man who has robbed eight other banks since mid-February. Eight of the nine banks hit have been TD Bank branches.

If it is the same man, it would mean that he had struck the same branch a little over seven days apart, according to the Eagle Tribune. Two of the branches have been hit twice during the spree.

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In addition, investigators believe the same man could be responsible for the armed robbery of a Bank of America branch in Westford on Monday and an Eastern Bank in Chelmsford on Tuesday. Surveillance images and witness accounts are strikingly similar.

One of the branches struck during this spree was the Tewksbury branch at 2345 Main St. That location

Tuesday, at around 5 p.m., a Tewksbury Police cruiser made several tours around the parking lot at the 2345 Main St. location before parking at the edge of the lot. The branch was scheduled to close at 6 p.m.

The suspect is described as being a light-skinned male with a Hispanic accent, in his late 20s to early 30s. During the Tewksbury robbery, witnesses said he was wearing a black jacket with the hood pulled up, a black mask, dark colored pants, and beige work boots.

Witnesses at the Dracut robbery on Sunday said he was wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers. Police believe he may have had a light-colored getaway car, driven by an accomplice, waiting outside, according to the Eagle Tribune.

Previous branches struck have been in Methuen, Lawrence, Dracut and Groveland. At each of the robberies, the suspect has either flashed a handgun or said he had a gun.

for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the "Merrimack Valley Bandit." If you have information about this case, you are asked to call the FBI at 617-742-5533.


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