Police probe bank robberies

Pair of branches hit in same week; link is possibility

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008

In less than a week, two Waldorf banks have been hit with robberies, but investigators aren't yet sure if the heists are related.

After a car and foot chase, police arrested a Newburg man on charges of robbing the PNC Bank on Crain Highway at gunpoint Tuesday, and the robber in a Friday crime at M&T Bank on Mall Circle got away, according to police reports.

The robber showed a handgun at the Tuesday bank heist, and handed the teller a note demanding money, according to police. The teller gave the robber money, and he fled to a car parked at a nearby bowling alley, police reported.

Charles County sheriff's officer responded to the bank at 11:10 a.m.

A witness saw the man fleeing the bank and called police to give a description of his car. The caller followed the car as the man drove it south on U.S. 301 and gave police information on his location, sheriff's officers reported.

Police saw the car in the 1200 block of Crain Highway and tried to stop it, but the driver allegedly crashed his car into a small barrier and tried to flee on foot, according to the report. Charles County sheriff's officers and Maryland State police chased down Mann Thomas Ward II, 41, of Newburg and arrested him without further incident.

Ward was charged with armed robbery and held at the Charles County jail without bond.

In a Friday robbery at M&T Bank on Mall Circle, the thief also passed a note to the teller, demanding money and implying he had a weapon, police reported.

The teller gave him money, and the man ran away, according to the report. Sheriff's officers responded to the bank at 11:06 a.m. and searched the area, but the robber escaped, police reported.

Detectives are still determining whether the two robberies are related, according to police.

The major crimes unit is handling the investigation. Anyone with information should call 301-609-6496.

brodgers@somdnews.com