12:20PM EST: Lakewood Police have just arrested the man who held up the Commerce Bank located on Route 9 and Kennedy Boulevard on August 9th [as reported HERE on YWN]. Lakewood Police Chief Rob Lawson tells YWN that the arrest is credited to a successful joint investigation between the FBI and the Lakewood PD.

The suspect in custody is responsible for robbing other banks as well, possibly including the robbery of the same Commerce Bank on December 31, 2007 [as reported HERE on YWN]. Credible sources tell YWN that he is responsible for additional bank robberies, possibly in the Monmouth County area.

Intelligence information led detectives to believe that the Commerce Bank was going to be robbed sometime in the near future, and undercover detectives were placed near the bank. Sure enough, the suspect was seen at the bank approximetly 45 minutes ago. He was quickly apprehended and placed under arrest. He was recognized from the camera recording which had been turned over to the Lakewood PD following the last robbery.

YWN publicly commends the Lakewood PD and the FBI for this arrest.

Additional information will be posted as soon as it is made available. 

(Yehuda Drudgestein – YWN)