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Police arrest Mastic man for Capital One Bank robberies

Police say this man robbed Capital One Bank in Riverhead on Tuesday. (Credit: Riverhead Town police)

Riverhead Police arrested a Mastic man in connection with a pair of robberies at two Capital One Banks.

John Gayles, 55, was charged with two counts of third-degree robbery following his arrest Wednesday, police said. 

JOHN N GAYLES_mdMr. Gayles is being charged with the Dec. 16, 2014 robbery at the Capital One Bank on East Main Street in Riverhead and the Jan. 6, 2015 robbery of the Capital One Bank on Main Road in Jamesport.

Police say that in both cases, Mr. Gayles entered the bank wearing a hooded sweatshirt, gloves and sunglasses and handed the teller a note demanding money. He was given an undisclosed amount of money in both robberies, and then left, police said.

Mr. Gayles became a suspect shortly after the Jamesport robbery, police said. He was taken into custody on Jan. 8 on an outstanding parole warrant and remained incarcerated at the Suffolk County jail while the investigation continued.

He was arraigned by Riverhead Justice Allen Smith, who ruled that Mr. Gayles was not eligible for bail due to his prior criminal history and he was sent back to the jail.

In August 2007, Suffolk County police arrested Mr. Gayles on a third-degree robbery charge for the robbery of an HSBC Bank on Montauk Highway in Mastic. In that case, detectives said Mr. Gayles threatened to use a gun if the teller did not comply with a note demanding cash.

Police are searching for a bank robber downtown. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo)
Police on scene in December after the robbery at the Capital One Bank in downtown Riverhead. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo, file)