West Orange Bank Robbery Suspect Could be Connected to Five Other Heists in State

The suspect in a July 23 bank robbery at Kearny Federal Savings, 487 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, may be connected to at least five other holdups in the state, according to the FBI's BanditTracker.

The most recent is a bank robbery Monday at Bank of America, 32 Route 46 West, in Montville.

Authorities in Montville currently are looking for a white male, approximately 30 years old, 5'10" tall, medium build, who was wearing a black nylon stretch mask over his head and who had glasses underneath. The man was reportedly wearing an unbuttoned, black, button-down shirt with a plain white T-shirt underneath along with black and gray gloves. He entered the bank around 12:30 p.m. with a black automatic pistol and demanded cash in a white plastic bag.

West Orange police officials described the man in the July 23 robbery as wearing similar clothing, specifically in all black and wearing a nylon stretch mask. The BanditTracker describes the individual as a white male, approximately 6'0" and 200 pounds. The suspect walked into the bank at 487 Pleasant Valley Way around 11:20 a.m., brandishing a black handgun and demanding cash. He made off with an unspecified amount of money.

The BanditTracker also lists a robbery July 28 at Lakeland Savings Bank, 321 West Main St., Boonton, that has a similar description of the suspect in Montville and West Orange. He entered the bank around 11:30 a.m. with a black handgun and demanded cash.

"The subject was wearing a black shirt with a white long sleeve button down shirt underneath, black pants and black gloves," according to the site. "The subject was described as a white male, 30 to 35 years old, 5'10" to 6'0" tall, medium build wearing a black mask stretched tightly over his face."

The other robberies at Wachovia Bank, 1080 Broad St., Bloomfield on June 25 and at Mariners Bank, 242 Oradell Ave., Paramus, and Bank of America, 392 Route 22, Whitehouse on July 8, also list the suspect as wearing all black, but with a baseball cap, not a nylon sock. The physical description of the suspect and the description of the weapon are the same given in the other three robberies.

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at (973) 792-3000. The FBI urges the public to refer to the BanditTracker for more information on the robberies.