'Countdown Bandit' Pleads Not Guilty To North Jersey Bank Robberies, Report Says

The man called the "Countdown Bandit" pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he robbed 10 North Jersey banks in the past 16 months, The Record reported.

Marcelino Garcia, 23, was arrested Thursday at his Hackensack home after he allegedly robbed the Spencer Savings Bank in Wallington. He has been charged with 10 counts of second-degree robbery in connection with bank robberies in Garfield, Wayne, Glen Rock, New Milford, River Edge, Maywood, Rochelle Park, Wallington, Oradell, and Lyndhurst.

Authorities dubbed him the "Countdown Bandit" because he counted down the seconds until a teller handed over cash.

Related: Alleged 'Countdown Bandit' Bank Robber Arrested: Prosecutor

Garcia was charged after authorities formed a task force to catch the robber, said Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal in a statement. The task force, which was formed about six months ago, identified Garcia as the alleged bandit from a description of a similar vehicle used in the robberies, Grewal said.

Garcia's apartment was searched a few hours after the Wallington robbery and he was arrested there, Grewal said.

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PHOTO: Marcelino Garcia — Bergen County Prosecutor's Office