Tag Archives: Wells Fargo

Bank Robbery, Assault, Police Chase Ends With 2 Arrests

A high speed chase that startled Westporters this afternoon began with the armed robbery of an armored car driver in the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot, next to Trader Joe’s.

Just after 12:30 p.m., police received a 911 call that 2 suspects, dressed all in black, had accosted the driver after he retrieved a cash deposit from inside the bank.

The suspect vehicle had reportedly parked alongside the victim’s van. One of the suspects pointed what was described by the victim as a revolver-style weapon at
him, while the second took him to the ground to gain control of the bank bag.

During the struggle, the victim’s deposit bag, firearm, keys, phone and a
scanner were taken from him.

The Wells Fargo Westport branch.

An eyewitness who had exited the bank shouted for help. Panicked, the suspects
dropped the bank bag and phone, but made off with his firearm, scanner and keys.

The witness said that the suspects drove at him in what he believed was an attempt to strike him, before leaving the parking lot. A description of the individuals and their vehicle was provided to responding officers.

Multiple units immediately began circling the location of the incident from
several directions. The suspect vehicle was located by an officer, traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on Compo Road South and making a left turn on to Greens Farms Road.

Attempts to signal the vehicle to stop were ignored. The suspects proceeded east on Greens Farms Road, then south on Hillspoint Road to Compo Road South.

Officers were briefly unable to maintain visual contact due to the excessive speeds and reckless maneuvering of the suspects.

As it approached the intersection with Greens Farms Road, officers used stop sticks to strike the vehicle’s tires and slow its pace.

Other units then brought the vehicle to a controlled stop on
Greens Farms Road, just east of the Hales Road overpass.

Two suspects were quickly taken into custody, one while attempting to flee on foot and a second while seated inside the car. An initial search of the vehicle yielded neither of the reported stolen items nor firearms.

Believing these items had been discarded during the pursuit, all available
Westport and mutual aid units began a systematic search of the suspects’
path of travel, utilizing several officers and evidence recovery canines.

The handgun stolen from the victim was located on Hillspoint Road, near the
Hales Road intersection.

The stolen set of keys was recovered a short distance south of that item.

The stolen scanner was recovered on Compo Road South, near the Baron’s property.

The weapon used during the commission of the robbery has not yet been recovered.

At this time the suspect’s weapon used in the commission of this crime has
not been located. It is believed to have been discarded in the Hillspoint/Compo
Beach/Compo Road South area.

This weapon was reported by one of the suspects to be a facsimile firearm; however, that has not been definitively confirmed by the investigation.

Area residents are cautioned that it may eventually be located on private property. Officers will continue to maintain a heavy presence in these neighborhoods through the night and into the morning, attempting to find it.

Anyone finding the gun should not attempt to handle it. Contact the Westport Police Department immediately, so it can be safely collected.

Keith Greene, 32 years old of Waterbury, was arrested, and charged with:

• Robbery First Degree
• Conspiracy to Commit Robbery First Degree
• Theft of a Firearm
• Conspiracy to Commit Theft of a Firearm
• Larceny Second Degree
• Conspiracy to Commit Larceny Second Degree
• Illegal Transfer of a Firearm
• Criminal Possession of a Firearm
• Tampering with Evidence
• Interfering with an Officer
• Assault Second Degree with a Firearm
• Conspiracy to Commit Assault Second Degree with a Firearm
• Threatening First Degree
• Criminal Attempt to Commit Assault of a Police Officer
• Engaging Police in Pursuit
• Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle
• Reckless Endangerment First Degree
• Possession of Narcotics.

His bond was set at $500,000. He was unable to post it, and remains in custody. He will be arraigned at Stamford Superior Court tomorrow.

Davon Younger, 33, of Bridgeport was charged with:
• Robbery First Degree
• Conspiracy to Commit Robbery First Degree
• Theft of a Firearm
• Conspiracy to Commit Theft of a Firearm
• Larceny Second Degree
• Conspiracy to Commit Larceny Second Degree
• Illegal Transfer of a Firearm
• Criminal Possession of a Firearm
• Tampering with Evidence
• Interfering with an Officer
• Assault Second Degree with a Firearm
• Conspiracy to Commit Assault Second Degree with a Firearm
• Threatening First Degree.

He is currently on parole, and will be remanded to the custody of the
Department of Corrections.

Photo Challenge #329

There’s always a back story.

Last week’s Photo Challenge showed trees reflected in the windows of a building.

It was not, as some readers thought, Staples High School, or “the ugly building” on Gorham Island.

It was, in fact, the side of the Wells Fargo Wealth Management building across from Compo Shopping Center, overlooking Trader Joe’s. (Click here to see.)

John Greenspan, Andrew Colabella, Rob Hauck, Jonathan McClure, Martha Witte, Clark Thiemann and Bruce Salvo were all on the money.

So was Michael Calise, who provided this historical perspective:

The original building design approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission included architecturally interesting forms which broke up the exterior façade, and contained the window openings currently in place.

In a show of hubris, the developers omitted the architectural forms and put in the windows on a flat ugly building wall.

Unfortunately, the P & Z was never able to resolve the transgression. Accordingly ordinary folks are and will continue to be burdened with the current lifeless and unattractive façade, until demolition time arrives.

Today’s Photo Challenge comes from Mark Mathias. He parenthetically wonders: doesn’t “etc.” need more than one “data point”?

(Photo/Mark Mathias)

If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.

Arts Lovers: You May Not Want Wells Fargo As Your Bank

Wells Fargo thought they were being cute. A new series of ads — promoting “teen financial education day” — showed (of course) happy young people.

One headline read: “A ballerina yesterday. An engineer today.”

Another: “An actor yesterday. A botanist today.”

The idea — that to become successful one should jettison the arts, and focus on something much more STEM-related — was not cute. It was idiotic.

Josh Groban, Anthony Rapp, and tons more folks — famous and not — pounced, on social media.

Almost as quickly, Wells Fargo apologized. The company said they were “deeply committed to the arts,” admitting that ads intended to “celebrate all the aspirations of young people…fell short of that goal.”

No word on whether the Post Road branch plans to make a nice contribution to the Westport Arts Center.

The Wells Fargo Westport branch.

The Wells Fargo Westport branch.

FUN FACT: There’s another area connection to this story. Remember the “Wells Fargo Wagon” song in “The Music Man”? That show is Staples Players’ fall production. Enjoy!

(Hat tip: Lee Scharfstein)