Malden Police Have Suspect In More Than A Dozen Robberies In Custody
MALDEN (CBS) - Police believe they've caught the suspect in several convenience store robberies.
They call him the Red-Handed Bandit because he was wearing red gloves, and that's not the only thing he had.
"A big knife!"
Mahesh Patel, the owner of the Highland Smoke Shop, said he was helping a customer play Keno when a man wearing a mask and red gloves pushed his way behind the counter.
"He tried to hold my head to the knife," Patel said.
Then Patel said the man got his hands in the register.
"He need more money, but what I said, "Don't touch me. Anything you need, just take it," he explained.
Patel's store is not the first or the last.
Video from another Malden convenience store in November shows the suspect at it again.
As the search was on for the Red-Handed Bandit. Malden police say an officer almost walked directly into the masked man as he allegedly hit another store Monday.
He got away in what police say is a BMW stolen from Logan airport.
"A short time later, the individual was observed inside that BMW driving in Malden without his mask on, so we were able to identify the individual as Mr. Ramfis Casado, age 34, out of Lynn," Detective Captain Marc Gatcomb, of the Malden Police Department, said.
Detectives arrested Casado in Chelsea on Tuesday under a warrant for masked armed robbery.
During a search, police found clothing that matched the bandit's description.
The same clothes reported in more than a dozen robberies in at least seven surrounding communities.
"In my opinion, he would have just ramped us up more and more, and it seemed like he was getting more brazen," Gatcomb added.
Police, not the only ones relieved the accused red-handed bandit is off the streets ahead of the holidays.
"Every night, I'm scared, but, thank god, last night they got the guy. I'm very happy," Patel said.
Casado's attorney waived his appearance in court Wednesday.
He is being held without bail and will be back in court next week.
More charges may follow. Police said the BMW is still missing and anyone who sees it should call police.