Bedford Cops Help Bag Alleged Bank Robber

A Manchester man was arrested earlier today after allegedly robbing a bank and fleeing into Bedford where he was apprehended.

Matthew Ireland, 36, of Mason Street in Manchester, was arrested on Jan. 31, and charged with robbery and two counts of disobeying a police officer.

According to a report, Manchester Police were called to the TD Bank on Bay Street for a robbery incident.

A teller reported that a white man walked into the bank, handed the teller a note demanding cash, and then fled the scene. The man did not show a weapon, according to the report, but was wearing a dark colored jacket with a hood and glasses that covered his face.

Officers reviewed video security footage and sent out a description to other officers in the field. An officer on the west side of the city observed a potential suspect traveling in a vehicle on South Main Street heading into Bedford. Bedford Police then joined the hunt and initiated a motor vehicle stop on South River Road near Meetinghouse Road.

“The suspect attempted to flee but lost control of his vehicle and became stuck in a snowbank,” according to Officer Mark Ampuja of the Manchester Police Department. “The suspect then fled on foot but was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit. An undisclosed amount of money was recovered from the subject.”

Ireland was arrested and processed in Bedford and then transferred to Manchester where he was processed again.

According to online reports, Ireland is no stranger to robbing banks.

In April 2009, he was sentenced to three years in federal prison after robbing a bank in Windham in October 2008, giving a teller a note demanding money. Ireland was living in Manchester at the time but later, moved to Guilford, VT.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Manchester Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. Click this link to find out how to get a name removed from a New Hampshire Patch arrest report.