Man Robs Bank by Cellphone, Cops Say

The suspect is wanted for robbing the Alma Bank on 58th Street in Brooklyn on May 8, 2012

NYPD

BROOKLYN — A man robbed a Brooklyn bank by phone after having his buddy threaten a teller on a cell, police said.

The male suspect approached an employee at the Alma Bank on 58th Street in Sunset Park about 10:20 a.m. on May 8 and asked to open a bank account for his girlfriend, who was not there, NYPD officials said. 

The man then made a call on his cell phone and handed it to the teller, with the person on the other end of the line stating that the suspect had a gun and would hurt the employee and the person's family if the teller did not hand over cash, cops said.

The suspect fled the bank with an undetermined amount of money and hopped in a dark BMW driven by a woman with blond highlights in her hair, police said.

The robber is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall with a medium build. He was wearing a baseball hat with a multicolor handkerchief underneath, a black shirt and black jeans, police said. 

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com. They can also submit tips by texting 274637, then enter TIP577.

The suspect allegedly handed a cell phone to a teller, with the person on the other end of the line threatening the empl...

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NYPD