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63-Year-Old Newtown Man Armed With Butcher Knife Robs Bank

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- A Newtown man armed with a butcher knife was charged with robbing a bank on Queen Street in Newtown Thursday afternoon, according to police.

John McCarthy

John McCarthy

Photo Credit: Newtown Police Department

Police received a call at around 2:38 p.m. from the Bank of America Security Department and a 911 call from the Bank of America branch on Queen Street, saying that a bank robbery had just occurred. The caller said that the suspect had given a teller a note saying that he had a gun, and that if the teller called the police he would kill everyone in the bank, police said.

The caller was able to give the 911 operator a description of the suspect, and said that he had fled on foot in the direction of the Newtown Color Center, police said.

Officers were immediately dispatched and located 63-year-old John McCarthy of Newtown behind the Newtown Color Center police said. McCarthy matched the description of the bank robber, and was briefly detained by Officer Figol until on duty personnel arrived, according to police.

Police said that McCarthy was found to be armed with a large butcher-type kitchen knife, and was in possession of $833.

Employees were able to identify McCarthy as the suspect who robbed the bank, and an audit of the teller's tray indicated that $833 had been stolen, according to police. He was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree threatening, carrying a dangerous weapon and fifth-degree larceny. He was held on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday.

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