Man Robbed Bank Inside Stop & Shop: Fairfield Police

FAIRFIELD, CT — A New Britain man is accused of robbing the People’s Bank inside of Stop & Shop in Fairfield before leading police on a chase and eventually crashing in Westport. Just before 3 p.m. on May 17, Fairfield Police received a report of a crash in front of Super Stop & Shop at 1160 Kings Highway Cutoff. Shortly after receiving the report of the crash, Fairfield’s Emergency Communications Center received a report of a hold-up alarm at People’s Bank inside the same Super Stop & Shop.

Employees at People’s Bank told police that they had just been robbed by a man, later identified as Nirav Patel, who was wearing a black jacket and had passed a written note demanding cash. The suspect received an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the store.

“Fairfield Police Officers responded to the scene and immediately received information from witnesses that a sliver sedan type vehicle had fled out of the lot at a high rate of speed, causing a motor vehicle crash at the exit to Stop & Shop on Kings Highway Cutoff,” police wrote in a news release. “The vehicle was then seen traveling east bound on Kings Highway Cutoff. Another witness then reported a vehicle with heavy front-end damage had just entered I-95 southbound at Meadowbrook Road.

“The Connecticut State Police, utilizing traffic cameras, observed a vehicle on the shoulder of I-95 Southbound near exit 17 in Westport. The vehicle matched the description given by witnesses and appeared to have heavy front-end damage. The vehicle was stopped on the shoulder and the operator appeared to be examining the damage to his vehicle.”

As responding Fairfield police officers approached the area, the suspect returned to his vehicle and engaged officers in a short pursuit, according to police. The vehicle exited the highway at Exit 17 and crashed nearby in Westport on Route 136 at Ferry Lane.

Police said the driver then ran from the scene and officers engaged him in a short foot pursuit. The suspect was located near the I-95 southbound entrance ramp, after “having crossed all lane of travel on I95, and was taken into custody with the assistance of the Westport Police Department,” police said.

Patel, 29, of New Britain, was arrested on charges of second-degree robbery, fourth-degree larceny and first-degree reckless endangerment. He was additionally charged with evading responsibility of an accident, engaging in pursuit, reckless driving and failure to obey a traffic signal. Patel is being held on a $100,000 bond.