Officials from the Paterson Police Department are currently searching for a suspect whom they have identified in connection with a recent bank robbery that occurred at a Paterson mall.
According to police reports, the male suspect allegedly robbed the TD Bank at the Center City Mall at approximately 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26th. Employees at the bank notified police that the man, who claimed to be armed with a gun, delivered a piece of paper to one of the bank’s employees with written instructions to give him money.
Witnesses also provided a description of the suspect, who is reportedly a Hispanic or Caucasian male with black hair. They also identified him as approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and wearing a black sweatshirt with a hood at the time of the robbery.
Authorities have not disclosed the amount stolen during the commission of this crime; however, they have provided the public with images of the alleged offender, which were obtained from a security camera at the bank. As such, the Paterson Police Department has requested that any and all information regarding this crime be forwarded to their detectives, who can be reached at 973-321-1120.
If the suspect is ultimately taken into custody, he will likely face charges for robbery, which is considered a first or second degree offense in New Jersey. N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1, the statute governing robbery crimes, dictates that it is a crime of the second degree unless one of the following conditions is applies: the actor attempts to kill anyone; purposely inflicts or attempts to inflict serious bodily injury; or is armed with, or uses, or threatens the immediate use of a deadly weapon.
With this in mind, the March 26th Paterson robbery will likely entail first-degree robbery charges, which are punishable by a term of incarceration ranging from 10 to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison. Further, those convicted of robbery crimes are subject to sentencing under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (“NERA”), which requires defendants to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for parole.
For more information pertaining to this case, access the following article: Police release photos in Paterson mall bank robbery
