Manchester police have arrested two people who are suspected in an armed robbery of one bank and an attempted robbery of another.
Police said they responded to the TD Bank at 180 Deming Street at 1:30 p.m. Sunday after a holdup alarm went off.
Police said a 40-year-old man who appeared nervous approached the tellers holding an empty bag, then left without cash and fled in a red Chrysler Town and Country minivan that a woman was driving.
As police were at TD Bank, a holdup alarm went off at United Bank at 234 Tolland Turnpike and officers determined the description of the robber matched the man from the attempted robbery at the other bank, police said.
He had passed a note to the teller that demanded cash and implied he had a gun, police said. Then he fled in the same minivan that was seen at TD Bank, police said.
The minivan was found at Motel 6 at 51 Hartford Turnpike.
Police identified the owner of the car as 42-year-old Babi Czernek, of Manchester, and said they found her nearby.
U.S. & World
Dale Robbins, 44, of South Windsor, was found in the motel.
Inside the room Czernek and Robbins had rented, police found a large amount of cash, a .22-calibre handgun and the note that was passed to the teller, according to police. They said they also found items used as a disguise in the robbery.
Charges filed against Robbins in connection with the United Bank robbery include first-degree robbery, first-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, third-degree larceny, third-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, first-degree threatening and first-degree conspiracy to commit threatening.
Charges filed against him in connection with the attempted robbery at TD Bank include first-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, first-degree criminal attempted robbery, sixth-degree conspiracy to commit larceny and sixth-degree criminal attempted larceny.
Charges filed against Czernek in connection with the United Bank robbery include first-degree robbery, first-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, third-degree larceny, third-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, first-degree threatening and first-degree conspiracy to commit threatening.
Charges filed against Czernek in connection with the TD Bank include first-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, first-degree criminal attempted robbery, sixth-degree conspiracy to commit larceny and sixth-degree criminal attempted larceny.
Robbins was held on $400,000 bond and Czernek was held on $300,000 bond.
Anyone with information is asked to call Manchester Police at 860-645-5500.
