Englewood MVE Bank Near Route 4 Robbed: Police

ENGLEWOOD, NJ — A man robbed the NVE Bank branch on Grand Avenue Monday afternoon and tried to steal a bicycle to use as a getaway vehicle, police said.

A tall man wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt sunglasses, purple rubber gloves and a dark-colored backpack walked into the branch at 4:55 p.m., said Detective Capt. Timothy Torell.

The suspect held up a note to a teller while speaking to a teller and demanding cash, Torell said. The teller gave the money to the suspect, who immediately fled the bank, he said. Police did not disclose how much money the man was given.

Englewood detectives, Bergen County Sheriff's officers responded to the scene and the FBI was notified.

Witness accounts of the robbery and surveillance footage helped detectives determine that the man escaped through the back of the property and into a residential neighborhood, Torell said.

A Lake Court resident saw the man trying to steal a bicycle out of a backyard, the captain said. The suspect ran when confronted, heading east on Lake Street towards Broad Avenue and vanished.

"Trying to steal a bicycle for escape is not a common move an experienced bank robber would make. We believe that the suspect may live in that immediate area or the suspect’s accomplice, perhaps waiting in a getaway vehicle, may have fled prematurely when the quick and heavy response of our officers and neighboring officers flooded the area," Torell said. "We need to identify this individual and get the suspect in custody before another bank is robbed."

The Crimestoppers group is offering a $1,000 reward for any information leading to the suspect's arrest or recovery of any of the cash or other evidence involved in the robbery. Anonymous tips can call the Crimestoppers hotline at 1-844-466-6789 or Englewood detectives at 201-568-4875.

Tips may also be submitted online at the Crimestoppers' website.

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A still photo of the robber holding up a note that was taken from surveillance footage of the MVE Bank branch robbery Monday. — Englewood Police Department