Cops: Bank Robbery Called in Bomb Threat to Smith Haven Mall

Suffolk County Police today arrested a South Setauket man for robbing a Bank of Smithtown branch in Centereach this morning.

A man entered the bank, located at 1919 Route 25, Centereach, and approached a teller at 9:54 a.m. He displayed what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun and handed the teller a note demanding cash and threatening to shoot if the teller did not comply. The teller complied with the robber’s demands, gave him cash from the drawer and activated the silent alarm.

Sixth Precinct police officers responded to the bank and received a description of the robber from a bank employee. Police Officer Christopher Woods and Sergeant Thomas O’Shea began searching for the suspect in the area, and they noticed a man who was acting suspicious at the corner of Eastwood Boulevard and School Street. They approached the man and saw that he had a knife protruding from his pocket and dark-colored makeup on his face. Upon further investigation, the man was found to be in possession of an inoperable black pellet pistol that resembled a semi-automatic handgun, a wig and proceeds from the bank robbery.

Officer Woods and Sergeant O’Shea arrested Alexander C. Haje, 22, of 33 Tulip Hill Lane, South Setauket. An investigation by Major Case detectives revealed that prior to the bank robbery, Haje called 911 to tell them of a bomb threat at the Smith Haven Mall in an effort to have officers move out of the area of the bank.

Major Case detectives charged Haje with one count of Robbery 2nd Degree and one count of Falsely Reporting an Incident 2nd Degree. Haje will be held overnight at the Sixth Precinct and he is scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip on February 24.