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Suspect arrested in Winthrop, Everett robberies

Print | Comments () Posted by Martin Finucane March 9, 2011 05:26 PM

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Kristen Romanelli

Kristen Romanelli, who works in the area, took this shot of the arrest. It was not immediately clear why two men appear to be under arrest.

By Globe Staff

An arrest has been made in connection with two bank robberies last week in Everett and Winthrop, law enforcement authorities said this morning.

Greg Comcowich, an FBI spokesman, said the suspect was arrested near the TD Garden this morning as part of a joint investigation by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; State Police; Boston police; Winthrop police; and the MBTA.

He did not release any other details on the arrest. Authorities said the suspect allegedly robbed the East Boston Savings Bank in Everett on March 3 and the Bank of America in Winthrop on March 4. In both instances, police said the suspect claimed to have an explosive device. The device left behind in Everett was believed to be fake.

The FBI and the US attorney's office are expected to release more details on the arrest later this afternoon.

In a nearby building, Kristen Romanelli and her co-workers jammed into an office to watch the incident. Romanelli snapped pictures.

"There were six of us squeezed in there, looking out the same window and watching the arrest. It looked like 'The Town' — not something you exactly expect to see in real life, let alone during office hours. It was exciting and confusing because we didn't know what was really happening at the time," she said in an email.

FBI, Winthrop police

Shown are two surveillance camera photos taken during the bank robberies in Everett and Winthrop that authorities allege were committed by the same person. On the left is an image of the man who robbed an Everett bank and left behind a fake pipe bomb. On the right is the man who robbed a Winthrop bank.