Cranston Man Who Had Previous 16-Hour Stand-Off With North Providence PD Robs Bank: Police

CRANSTON, RI — A Cranston man was arrested Saturday after police said he robbed a Citizens Bank on Friday.

Gino Rotondo, 58, was charged with second-degree robbery, and had recently been released on bail for gun and drug charges out of North Providence, according to Cranston police.

Just before noon, police said they were called to the Citizens Bank branch at 1030 Park Ave, for a report of a robbery. The suspect, later identified as Rotondo, passed a note to the bank teller demanding cash, police said.

Police said Rotondo left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash and fled on a blue BMX-style bicycle. No weapon was shown, and no injuries were reported, according to police.

Police used bank security footage to identify a suspect, and officers with prior contact with Rotondo immediately recognized him, police said.

Police said they learned Rotondo was released from the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) in April after posting bail on gun and drug charges after a 16-hour stand-off in North Providence. He was also wanted on a warrant from the Coventry Police Department for shoplifting and violating a no-contact order, Cranston police said.

Cranston police said they got a warrant to search Rotondo's home on Saturday morning. Given his criminal history, Cranston police's special response team received help from the Rhode Island State Police Bomb Squad and the East Providence Police SWAT Team.

When searching Rotondo's home, police said they learned he might be hiding in a storage unit at 950 Phenix Ave. Police said they searched a storage unit and found Rotondo sleeping inside with a small amount of cash.

"I credit the patrol officers, detectives, and special response team for working together to quickly identify the suspect and take him into custody without incident hours after the robbery," Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist said. "The suspect had a lengthy history, including illegally possessing firearms and refusing commands from police, which made this swift and safe apprehension especially significant."