Virginia Man Arrested In Atlantic City May Be Man Who Robbed TD Bank In Ocean City

Ocean City, NJ -- A Virginia man arrested in connection with a bank robbery in Atlantic City Friday afternoon matches the description of the man who robbed TD Bank in Ocean City on Thursday, according to police.

Bruce Higgins Jr., 42, of Herndon, Virginia, is charged with the robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank in Atlantic City, Atlantic City Police said Friday evening. He is also a suspect in other robberies, including the TD Bank robbery from Thursday afternoon.

Higgins Jr. had walked into the TD Bank at about 1:06 p.m. Thursday afternoon, and demanded money from the teller. He then made off with an undisclosed amount of cash. It was unclear if the man was armed, but no one was hurt during the robbery.

The FBI along with Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and Ocean City Police Department were investigating the robbery, and released surveillance photos of Higgins Jr. to the media and the public on Thursday. At that time, his identity was unknown.

After receiving the photos, Atlantic City Police Officers James Bower and Anthony Grajales recognized the suspect from a prior police interaction and notified the Ocean City Police Department.

Law enforcement advised local TD Bank branches to hit their emergency alarm if Higgins Jr. entered their bank.

At about 12:18 p.m. Friday afternoon, Higgins Jr. entered the TD Bank at 15 North Pennsylvania Avenue in Atlantic City.

Bank personnel hit their emergency alarm initiating a police response. Higgins Jr. left the bank without speaking to anyone.

Atlantic City Police officer Brian Fleming responded to the bank, and was told Higgins Jr. left the bank in a cab. The witness was able to give the officer the cab number and tell him which direction the cab headed.

However, by the time police found the cab at South Carolina and Atlantic avenues, Higgins Jr. was already gone.

While police were attempting to find him, the Wells Fargo Bank in Atlantic City was robbed. Police say Higgins Jr. gave the teller a note saying he had a gun, and the teller gave him more than $1,000 in cash.

Police then saw Higgins Jr. walking down South Carolina Avenue. Several officers approached him and ordered him to the ground. Higgins Jr. initially refused, but after several minutes, was placed in custody, police said. All the money was recovered, but police say no gun was found.

In addition to the robberies in Atlantic City and Ocean City, Higgins Jr. is a suspect in two bank robberies and the robbery of a grocery store in Maryland, police said.

Higgins Jr. was remanded to the Atlantic County Justice Facility. His bail is not known at this time.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Atlantic City Police Department Criminal Investigations Section at 609-347-5766. Information can be text to TIP411 (847411). Begin the text with ACPD. All texts are anonymous.

Anyone with information about the bank robbery in Ocean City is urged to contact the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1135 or the FBI Atlantic City Resident Agency at 609-677-6400.

The attached image was previously provided by Ocean City Police