NEW YORK CITY — A man using a bike as a getaway vehicle tried to rob three banks in the Gramercy area in less than a half-hour, police said.
The suspect, who rolled his bike into the lobbies of the banks before strolling inside and robbing them, was caught on video beginning his spree at the Chase Bank at 225 Fifth Ave., police said.
The suspect — who calmly propped his bike against an ATM vestibule before meandering into the main bank — passed the teller a note and demanded cash at 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 10. When the cashier refused to give up the money, he fled empty-handed, police said.
Three minutes later, the man struck the Chase bank two blocks away at 386 Park Ave. South. He presented a note demanding money, but once again fled with nothing, according to police.
Roughly 20 minutes later, the suspect hit Ponce De Leon Bank at 319 First Ave. between East 18th and East 19th streets at 10:03 a.m., showed the teller a note, and took off with $1,000, police said.
NYPD released a video of the suspect, and described him to be a thin man in his mid 30s, standing roughly 5-foot-7 with a tattoo on his left ankle and right calf.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit tips on the website.
