Unity Bank Robbed

The Unity Bank branch on Mountain Avenue in Springfield was robbed Thursday morning by a man who also may have robbed the Unity Bank branch in Scotch Plains earlier in the day.

Shortly after at 10:30 a.m., a holdup alarm at the Unity Bank branch was activated. Springfield police responded to the scene and were informed that a man had entered the bank, produced a note stating that he had a gun, and demanded money.

Det. Judd Levenson of Springfield Police told Patch that the suspect has been described as a man with a dark complexion, between 5' 8" and 5'9", and 160 to 180 pounds, with a scruffy salt-and-pepper beard, wearing a dark baseball cap, dark denim jeans, a long-sleeved shirt with no collar, gloves and tinted glasses.

Employees at Cioffi's Deli, on the corner of Remer Avenue and Mountain Avenue, said they saw a man park his car on Remer Avenue and go past the deli into the bank. They said they saw him run past the deli in the other direction shortly afterward. They described him as a black male, dressed in black and wearing a black cap, and carrying a white duffel bag.

The Unity Bank branch in Scotch Plains was robbed earlier Thursday (click for story) by a man police there described as "dressed in black." Police said that while the suspect in Springfield is very similar to the one in Scotch Plains, they are not yet certain if the two incidents are related.

Cioffi Deli co-owner Jerry Cioffi said he believes security cameras mounted on the outside of his deli captured the man on both occasions as he passed by. He provided the video to Springfield, Scotch Plains and Union County police.

The FBI out of Newark is leading the investigation, with Scotch Plains and Springfield's assistance.