Police

Cops: Nabbed two-time bank robber faces charges in Riverhead

The woman who allegedly robbed the bank Thursday. (Credit: Riverhead police)

A Southampton woman arrested Friday for robbing a Hampton Bays bank in June has been linked with the March robbery of a Riverhead bank, Southampton Town police said.

The suspect, 50-year-old Janet Terry, is now facing stolen property and robbery charges, according to a news release.

Authorities say Ms. Terry walked into the Suffolk County National Bank on Second Street on March 19 about 10:30 a.m. wearing a hat, hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses. She handed the teller a note demanding money and fled the scene with and undisclosed amount of cash, Riverhead police said at the time.

Helicopters and K9 units searched the area, but couldn’t find the robber.

Three months later on June 26, Ms. Terry allegedly walked into the Chase Bank in Hampton Bays and again demanded cash by giving the teller a note. Police say she was given cash and fled, again escaping from police.

Southampton and Riverhead Town police, along with state troopers and Southampton Village detectives teamed up and used video surveillance footage to identify Ms. Terry, according to a news release.

On Friday about 2 p.m., Ms. Terry was pulled over by a state trooper on Tadd Road in Southampton, police said She was taken into custody and arraigned in Southampton Town Court, where she was ordered held in jail on $10,000 bail, police said.

She’s expected to be arraigned in Riverhead Town court Tuesday on charges relating to the Riverhead bank robbery, according to the release.

However, police said the investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with additional information about the robberies is asked to call Riverhead police at 727-4500 or Southampton Town police at 702-2230.