Moments after being notified of a bank robbery at York Avenue and 79th Street in Manhattan, two alert MTA Police officers nabbed a bank robbery suspect as he waited to board a New Haven Line train at the Harlem-125th Street Station.
The officers recognized him from a wanted poster that NYPD had reissued for a suspect in six prior Manhattan bank robberies.
MTA PD Officers Michael Burns and Joseph Terracciano, on patrol at the Upper Manhattan station, had the wanted poster in their possession when the robbery notification came in and recognized the suspect from the wanted poster.
"We began the search and were on the platform canvassing when he came up the stairs and sat down on a bench. We approached him and told him to put his hands behind his back. He did not resist arrest," said Ofc. Burns, who has been with MTA PD for five years.
"It happened fairly quickly so customers remained calm," Ofc. Terracciano, a seven-year veteran of the force. "We got the description and that he might be taking a train. Within minutes, there he was, exactly as he was described."
They arrested Jerry Walton, 48, of Waterbury, Conn., who appeared to be waiting for the 12:17 p.m. train to Waterbury. He was found in possession of over $6,860 cash and a small amount of heroin. He had no weapon.
He is suspected in one robbery, at 10:55 a.m. at the Chase branch at 1495 York Avenue. He is also suspected in an attempted robbery 10 minutes earlier at a Citibank at 171 E 72nd St. In each case, the suspect showed no weapon and used a verbal threat.
The NYPD Major Case squad responded and the investigation is ongoing with FBI involvement. The suspect is wanted in connection with six prior bank robberies, as well as the two recent cases.
