By Joe Anuta
The NYPD has released a photo of the man they say robbed a Maspeth bank in broad daylight Feb. 16, making off with an unidentified amount of cash, police said.
The suspect walked into an Amalgamated Bank at 69-73 Grand Ave. at around 11 a.m., grabbing an employee, police said.
The man then stuck an object into the employee’s back to simulate a firearm, police said. He then allegedly forced the employee to demand cash from a nearby teller, grabbed the cash and then fled the scene, police said.
The robbery, in the confines of the 104th Precinct, comes after a wave of other brazen robberies across the borough by a man the Federal Bureau of Investigation has dubbed the “Holiday Bandit” for his alleged Yuletide thievery.
In the latest robbery, suspect Marat Mikhaylich allegedly held up an Investors Savings Bank, at 35-02 Broadway, in Astoria last week.
Anyone with information about to the Maspeth robbery is asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
