By George P. Hassett
A Highland Ave. bank was robbed this morning, according to police. A police source said a crook or crooks hit the bank at 285 Highland Ave. for over $200,000.
At about 8:15 a.m., Somerville Police received a call for a possible break in at the East Cambridge Savings Bank. When officers responded, they entered the bank and found a bank employee tied up in the basement. Police are not saying how much money was taken but a police source said it was "a big one" and the robber or robbers got away with more than $200,000. The suspect or suspects fled the scene in the employee’s personal car, which has been recovered, police said.
No further details are available for release at this time. There is also no video available for release at this point. The Somerville Police Department and the FBI Bank Robbery Task Force are investigating the incident with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Unit. Police are asking anyone who has information about the incident, to contact the Somerville Police Department at 617 625-1212 or the FBI at 617 742-5533.
Ouch! Scooped by Boston.com!! Always remember, there are no holidays in the news business!
Posted by: Ouch! | May 26, 2007 at 08:43 PM
By John Guilfoil and Von Seang, Globe Correspondents
To JN,
I had to paste this after reading this Globe's account. You beat the Globe with the story and the RIGHT location.
Great job.
OG
A woman who worked at a Somerville bank was found tied up in the bank basement this morning, and police are searching for one or more culprits in the bank break-in.
Somerville Police Captain Paul Upton said police were called to the East Boston Savings Bank on Highland Avenue at around 8:15 a.m and found the bank worker.
Upton said one or more thieves got away with an unknown amount of money and stole the employee's car to make their escape.
The car was recovered nearby. Somerville police and the FBI's bank robbery task force are investigating.
Lieutenant James Polito said police and agents are still at the scene. Customers of the bank are being turned away.
Posted by: Old Gent | May 26, 2007 at 09:27 PM
That's pretty bad -- Boston.com got the name of the bank wrong! And it's still wrong on their web site right now.
Posted by: Ron Newman | May 26, 2007 at 09:36 PM
$200,000.00 thats a lot of money and the alarm did not get triggerd att all just help yourself and leave maybe they had a ATM card just like the desk, the traffic money gone gone for ever down the river and over the POND?
Posted by: Now | May 28, 2007 at 07:30 AM
Sounds like a job involving insiders to me...
Posted by: Somerville resident | May 28, 2007 at 10:02 AM
It seems like, this was all pre-planned and the Bank teller must have been involve in it since banks have Dual Controll policy and the main vault cannot be opened by one person, since it requires two passwords and one has to be a manager's password so how can a teller open the main vault and let the crooks take all the money. Something is definietly fishy.
Posted by: SOMERVILLE RESIDENT | June 07, 2007 at 12:58 PM
Resident - I agree with you; I've been hoping for more info, on this incident.
Posted by: Kate | June 07, 2007 at 02:17 PM