Cops: L.I. Man Attempts To Rob Banks Claiming Daughter Being Held For Ransom
COPIAGUE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island man has been arrested after police said he tried to rob two banks by telling an employee he needed cash because his daughter had been kidnapped and was going to be killed.
With a bandage on his nose, Vitaliy Yershov walked into a Bank of America on May 30 in Copiague and handed a teller a note demanding cash, police said.
WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reports
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The note claimed his daughter was being held for ransom and would be killed, according to police.
"I think it's relatively unusual," said Suffolk County police Lt. Gregory McVeigh. "I think it's a little more thoughtful, he put a little more thought into it."
But McVeigh said Yershov, who doesn't even have a daughter, didn't get the reaction from the teller he was probably expecting.
"The teller, at that point, walks away from him and he turns and walks out," McVeigh said.
About an hour later, Yershov tried to rob a Chase Bank using the same tactic, police said, but again left without any cash.
Yershov did get money from an earlier bank robbery on May 17, according to police. Authorities said after trying to rob a fourth bank on June 4, he was arrested.
He faces attempted grand larceny and robbery charges. He set to be arraigned Tuesday.
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