Harrison Police Solve 2011 Bank Robbery With DNA Tests

HARRISON, NY — The Harrison Police Department announces the indictment of Michael Trumbore, 48, a Pennsylvania resident, for his role in a Chase Bank robbery in 2011.

The indictment charges Trumbore with Robbery 3 rd Degree – D Felony, Grand Larceny 3 rd Degree – D Felony, and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 3 rd Degree – D Felony.

On June 30, 2011 a man entered the Chase Bank at 402 Halstead Ave., and after spending a short period of time inside, handed a bank teller a note stating “Give me $50, 20, 10 & 5 Bills, I have a gun and I will use it.” The bank teller handed the man cash, totaling $5,510. The man ran out of the bank before the Harrison Police were notified.

Harrison detectives spent months locating and interviewing witnesses and following leads. The picture of the bank robber from the Chase Bank surveillance video was sent out to the media and to the law enforcement community, but still, there was no indication as to his identity. Detectives recovered property from the crime scene, believed to have been left by the bank robber, and submitted it to the Westchester County Forensics Lab for DNA analysis.

Initially, the DNA submitted did not match DNA records contained in the DNA database.

However, Chief Anthony Marraccini’s persistence and determination to not let the case go unsolved, directed investigators to resubmit the recovered evidence to utilize the advances in forensic DNA technology and any additional DNA submissions that were added to the DNA database, police said.

The diligent work of the Harrison Police Department and the Westchester County Forensics Lab proved to be rewarding almost five years later. The DNA profile obtained from the property left by the bank robber matched a DNA profile in the National DNA Index System belonging to Trumbore.

After receiving information about the DNA profile match, Harrison detectives travelled to the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, where they met with Trumbore, who is currently incarcerated for car larcenies and bank robberies he committed in that state.

Trumbore confessed to Harrison detectives that he did commit the Chase bank robbery in Harrison five years ago, police said.

IMAGE: Trumbore at the Chase Bank in 2011 and in prison in Pennsylvania.