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| Luke Radick |
The specially designed double security doors prevented the then-21-year-old from getting beyond the vestibule of a Stroudsburg, Pa., bank in 2009.
Radick had a shotgun, but he simply turned and ran away, according to police, who caught him a short time later. He eventually pleaded guilty to robbery charges and served four years in federal prison.
This time, local and federal authorities say it took a littler longer to catch up with Radick, now 26 and living in Howell, N.J., after he allegedly attempted three bank robberies in Bucks County.
Charges related to those three robberies landed him in Bucks County prison late Thursday after District Judge Joseph Falcone set bail at 10 percent of $3 million.
Police said the suspect left some big clues in his robbery attempts: a demand note written on the back of a bail release form and a taxi driver who drove to him to all three banks.
But, he only made off with a “small amount” money from one of the banks robbed Thursday, police said.
Radick, who looks much younger than his 26 years, walked handcuffed into Falcone’s courtroom Thursday night.
When asked why he robbed the banks, Radick gave a blunt answer.
“Because I needed the money. Why the (expletive) do you think I did it? I’m not sorry I did it, I’m sorry I got caught,” he said.
Local and federal authorities say that shortly after noon Thursday, Radick tried to rob a Sovereign Bank in the 1400 block of Street Road in Bensalem. He allegedly presented a teller a demand note, but the tellers ran away from their stations. Radick ran off empty-handed.
At about 12:50 p.m., police say Radick tried to rob another Sovereign Bank on Main Street in Yardley. He presented a demand note and ordered tellers to raise their hands, police said. A teller handed him a “small amount” of cash before Radick ran away.
About an hour later, police say that Radick tried to rob the Wells Fargo in Morrisville, but again left empty-handed. He handed a demand note to tellers, ordering they put money into an envelope, police said. The teller moved away from her station and Radick ran away again, police said. This time Radick left behind a big clue: the taxi driver who had driven him to all three banks, sources said. Police say the cab driver realized what Radick was doing at the final robbery and has fully cooperated with police.
Morrisville Officer Justin Bickhart spotted the taxi and apprehended Radick on East Bridge Street in Morrisville, about 300 yards from the Wells Fargo bank.
“Justin spotted him and Bensalem officers were right behind him. We picked this guy up on Aug. 24, for allegedly doing drugs in a car at West Trenton Avenue and Plaza Boulevard,” said Lt. Tom Herron, adding his department turned Radick over to Lower Southampton police for unrelated offenses there.
He owed the taxi driver more than $100 for the fare, but ran away without paying, police said.
Radick was released from Bucks County prison Wednesday after his sister posted 10 percent of his $15,000 bail, which a county judge lowered the day before from $30,000, according to online court records. Radick was jailed Aug. 24 for allegedly passing a bad check at a Lower Southampton check cashing business.
Before the third robbery Thursday, Bensalem detectives contacted Lower Southampton police, who were able to provide Radick’s name and mug shot. Authorities say the mug shot matched surveillance video in the three robberies.
Thursday’s events are part of five Lower Bucks area bank robberies this week.
A Fulton Bank in the 2100 block and a TD Bank in the 2700 block of Street Road in Bensalem were robbed Tuesday. Bensalem police have arrested three people in connection with both robberies, which were unrelated. In those cases, the suspects also used demand notes and implied, but did not display, weapons.
The latest bank robberies make 35 in Bucks and Montgomery counties since October, according to the FBI. Five of the Bucks robberies have occurred in Bensalem.
Overall, bank robberies in the two counties have increased at least 9 percent since October 2010, according to FBI statistics, bucking a national trend of heists plummeting over the last decade.
If the pace continues at a moderate rate this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, the two counties will exceed the 39 bank robberies reported in fiscal year 2010, a Philadelphia FBI supervisor said.
Jo Ciavaglia: 215-949-4181; email: jciavaglia@calkins.com; Twitter: @jociavaglia
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