Getaway Car Driver Charged with Kidnapping, Car-Jacking for Southington Robbery

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A getaway car driver has been charged with kidnapping and car-jacking for a bank robbery in June, police said.

On Monday, Southington detectives arrested Lamar McCarthy, 35, of Hartford. McCarthy was the second suspect in the June 18 robbery of the People’s United Bank, located at 505 North Main St., in Southington, police said.

At about 1:15 that afternoon, police received a call about a hold-up at the bank inside a Stop & Shop supermarket, according to a report.

It was reported that a male suspect, later identified as Norman Renaldi , age 43, of Meriden, entered the bank and handed the teller a note demanding the money.

Renaldi exited the store and climbed into a red minivan operated by a second suspect, later identified as McCarthy, according to a report.

The vehicle left the area and headed northbound on Rt. 10, according to a report.

An officer saw the vehicle and attempted to stop it near the Queen Street Walmart, but McCarthy made a u-turn and struck another vehicle before fleeing southbound on Route 10, police said.

A tire went flat on the vehicle near the intersection of North Main Street and Curtiss Street, police said.

McCarthy continued to drive it until reaching the area of the Shell Gas station at 212 Main St., according to a report.

The van stopped on the side of the road and the the two suspects fled the vehicle, according to a report.

Renaldi was taken into custody by police on the date of the incident.

McCarthy then jumped into a white Jeep Cherokee that was at one of the gas pumps at the Shell Station and drove away, leaving behind a man who had been pumping gas, police said.

The male’s wife and grandchildren, ages 6 and 3, were still inside the vehicle at the time McCarthy fled the area in it.

A short time later the woman and the two children were released from the vehicle at a commuter lot off Exit 26 of Interstate-84 near the Cheshire-Waterbury line, a report indicates.

McCarthy was charged with:

• First-degree kidnapping (3 counts)
• Second-degree robbery
• Conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery
• Robbery involving a occupied vehicle
• Engaging police in a pursuit

The warrant had a $750,000.00 court-set bond, police said.

A second warrant was obtained for the charges associated with the motor vehicle violations while police were
attempting to stop the vehicle. The warrant charged McCarthy with evading responsibility, unsafe passing, failure to drive right, failure to obey traffic controls, improper turns and engaging police in a pursuit.

The warrant carried a $15,000 court-set bond, police said.

Patch File Photo