Man in wig, claiming to have a bomb, robs Danbury bank

By John Pirro and Mark Langlois
STAFF WRITERS

Bank surveillance cameras provided this photo of the suspect who robbed the Webster Bank branch on Mill Plain Road in Danbury on Thursday.

DANBURY -- A man wearing a wig and claiming to be armed with a bomb robbed the Webster Bank at 105 Mill Plain Road on Thursday and escaped with an undetermined amount of cash.

The bomb threat briefly closed a stretch of Mill Plain Road and forced the evacuation of an office building adjacent to the bank while a state police dog searched for explosives. No bomb was found and workers were allowed back into the office building about 20 minutes later.

Police described the robber as a white male in his 30s, between 5 feet, 10 inches and 6 feet tall and wearing a black wig and black suit. He entered the bank at about 12:15 p.m., handed a note to a teller demanding money, then fled on foot. Police said they had no information on his direction of travel.

Bank officials declined to comment.

The bank robbery was the second in Danbury in less than a week. On Friday, a man claiming to be carrying a gun held up the Savings Bank of Danbury on Newtown Road and escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash. Those bank officials are offering a $2,500 reward.

"It's too early to tell if they are related," police spokesman Detective Lt. Thomas Michael said.

A state police bomb-sniffing dog went through the bank parking lot and bank starting at 1:02 p.m. and police closed Mill Plain Road between Aunt Hack Road and Exit 2 of Interstate 84.

The road closure inconvenienced Carlos Santana of Danbury, who couldn't reach his workplace except on foot. So he talked to bank employees before heading to work.

"What they were talking about was a man came in, well dressed, with a black wig. He said it was a robbery and he had a bomb," Santana said. "He had an earring or something in his ear."

Original reports relayed to responding police officers said the robber wore an earpiece, similar to one used for a cell phone.

Santana said he was shocked at how calm everyone was.

"What I don't get is how come we have so many bank robberies in Danbury?" Santana asked.

Michael said investigators were contacting area police departments to determine whether the Danbury heists are connected to bank robberies in other communities.

"We have a good system," Michael said. "We'll certainly be in touch with other departments to see if there are any similarities."