Crime & Safety
Bergen Man, Woman Charged With Robbing Mahwah TD Bank
BREAKING: Joel Robbins, 47, and Wanda Soel, 52, were arrested with the help of bank employees and customers, authorities said.
MAHWAH, NJ — A Bergen County man and woman were charged with robbing a Mahwah bank Sunday, authorities announced.
Joel Robbins, 47, of Oradell, and Wanda Soel, 52, of Hasbrouck Heights, were each charged with bank robbery, acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Robbins allegedly robbed the bank and Soel was the getaway driver, Fitzpatrick said.
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According to video surveillance and witness reports, Robbins walked into the bank, pulled a bandana over his face and pulled a black handgun, which was fake, out of his waistband and pointed it at two bank tellers, Fitzpatrick said. The bank is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.
Robbins demanded money from him and warned them not to "make me have to kill you;" the tellers handed Robbins the money and he left, dropping several bills, Fitzpatrick said.
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Soel drove a Toyota Corolla away after Robbins got into the passenger side. Police officers received a report of the robbery while it was occurring and chased after the Corolla, Fitzpatrick said.
A teller at the drive-thru window asked a customer to call police and another customer saw the man and a woman drive off, according to a report on NorthJersey.com.
Soel drove into the parking lot of a local hotel where she and Robbins tried to switch places so he could drive, but she tripped and fell and Robbins drove away without her, Fitzpatrick said.
Robbins left the parking lot, hit a curb, blew a tire out and crashed, authorities said. Police arrested him and found money sticking out of his pants and strewn inside the Corolla, Fitzpatrick said.
Authorities also found sunglasses, a bandana, a dark knit cap and latex gloves from the car, which were similar to the one's Robbins wore during the robbery, Fitzpatrick said.
Robbins and Soel face a maximum 2o-year prison term and $250,000 fine if convicted of bank robbery.
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