Crime & Safety

Armed Bank Robber Caught Hours After Montclair Holdup, Police Say

East Orange man accused of robbing PNC Bank on Park Street Friday morning.

An East Orange man was apprehended just a few hours after robbing a Montclair bank at gunpoint Friday morning, police said.

Robert Mercedes, 24, was charged with robbery, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

According to Detective/Lt. Angel Roman, the PNC Bank at 54 Park St. was robbed at gunpoint shortly before 11 a.m. Friday.

An investigation by the FBI and Montclair and East Orange police departments led authorities to Mercedes, Roman said.

No further details were immediately available.

A masked man robbed the same PNC at gunpoint earlier this year. 


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