Bank robbery, scare hit Wellesley

Bomb squads destroy 2 devices; Activities similar in 2 other towns

Police closed Route 16 in front of a Bank of America branch in Wellesley after a robbery. Below, a bomb squad used a robot to pick up the phone at a nearby Star Market. Law enforcement officials think the threat might have been a diversionary tactic. (Photos by wendy maeda/globe staff)

WELLESLEY - A bank was robbed at gunpoint, a supermarket and pharmacy were evacuated, and police found two suspicious devices in an afternoon of bedlam yesterday that brought the quiet community to a dramatic halt and raised fears that a serial bank robber had hit this affluent town west of Boston.

Police are investigating whether the man who robbed the Bank of America on Washington Street left a suspicious device at a nearby supermarket that was found only minutes earlier, in a possible diversion tactic seen recently in other communities. The robber left a second device on a counter at the bank.

The two devices were detonated by State Police bomb squads, and no one was reported injured.

But the cautious response to the two devices, forcing the evacuation of some 70 people from Star Market and a nearby pharmacy, created a scare and disorder where bank robberies are atypical.

Traffic built up while police cordoned off main streets. Train service was delayed for at least a half-hour.

And Wellesley High School cleared its athletic fields and called students back into the building as a precaution.

"It's a very quiet little community here, but this is something else," said Frank Ouellet, an 83-year-old who has worked at a real estate office overlooking Washington Street for decades. He waited with dozens on the street, busy Route 16, while authorities set up perimeters to inspect the device at the Bank of America. Meanwhile, dozens of other spectators were less than a half mile up the street at Star Market, also on Washington Street, where police inspected the device.

"This was terrifying," said Joseph O'Connor, an 18-year-old who was working at Rite Aid when police responded and the bomb squad arrived. He watched as the device was destroyed by a robot. "It startled everyone in the crowd, and all these kids shrieked," he said. "The whole experience was like an episode of [the TV suspense show] '24.' "

Police Sergeant Marie Cleary, a department spokeswoman, could not say last night whether the devices were from the same source or constructed in a similar fashion. She said they remain under review by the State Police bomb squads, and the FBI was also assisting, said Gail Marcinkiewicz, bureau spokeswoman. Cleary could not say last night whether the devices were a hoax, saying they will be inspected.

Officials said last night that they are still reviewing the possibility that the two incidents were related in what would be a diversion tactic, but have not made that determination. Surveillance footage of the bank robber was reviewed, but Cleary could not say whether the supermarket had surveillance footage of the person who left the device there.

The sequence of events led police to contact officials in Needham and Holbrook, where similar incidents have occurred. On Monday, a device with wires connected to it was found attached to a pay phone in the parking lot at St. Bartholomew Church in Needham. It had a note that referred to Needham High School, and the school was evacuated.

Last week, a bomb scare was called into South Elementary School in Holbrook minutes before the nearby Randolph Savings Bank was robbed. The culprit fled in a green 2009 Toyota Tundra and then set it on fire.

Cleary said she could not speculate on any relation to yesterday's events, but "we are aware that similar types of incidents have occurred in those communities, so we will be speaking to those departments to see whether there are similarities."

Police were alerted to the device at the Star Market by a 911 hang-up call at about 3:45 p.m. When officials responded they found the device, a small, red, square object, inside a pay phone. About 20 employees and 50 customers were evacuated from the market and Rite-Aid.

About 17 minutes later, a robbery was reported at the Bank of America. In that case, a man wearing dark clothing and a mask showed a handgun and demanded money. He left a device on a counter and fled with an undisclosed amount of money around the rear of the bank.

Police established two wide perimeters at both locations, triggering the intrigue of passersby who are not used to seeing that kind of police action in Wellesley.

The last bank robbery in town occurred a year ago, Cleary said.

"I know you aren't supposed to be excited about a bomb scare, but it's the most interesting thing that has ever happened here," said Charlotte Borgatti, 16, who was interviewed near Star Market.

Others quickly thought of the incidents in Needham and Holbrook as the only way to explain the commotion. "You auto- matically think there's a link, because it's a unique thing to do," said Barry Williams, 49, who was headed to the nearby Needham Bank when he was stopped by the police barricades.

Globe Correspondent Jenna Nierstedt contributed to this report.