Saratoga man caught hiding
LATHAM – On Wednesday, Oct. 30 at approximately 4:06 p.m., the Colonie police received a “Hold Up” alarm from the Trustco Bank at 1 Johnson Road.
A 911 call immediately followed from bank staff who stated that a white male suspect had entered the bank wearing a mask, pointed a gun at the teller, and demanded an undisclosed amount of cash which bank staff complied with.
After receiving cash, the suspect fled the scene on foot and attempted to escape through an adjoining neighborhood.
Witnesses in the area provided continuous updates of the suspect’s movements to responding officers until he was ultimately located in a nearby wooded area.
Christian M. Aquino, 18, of Saratoga was arrested without incident while still in possession of the stolen cash. The firearm displayed was determined to be an airsoft pellet gun.
The Colonie police said that the Trustco Bank staff helped resolve the situation quickly by following established protocols that helped ensure their safety and the safety of their customers.
“We would also like to thank our community for providing real time information that led directly to the safe capture of this dangerous individual,” Colonie police said in a statement. “The combined efforts of the Colonie Police, Cohoes Police, Green Island Police, New York State Police, Trustco Bank Staff and our community all contributed to a successful resolution to this dangerous situation. We would also like to recognize our UAS (drone) unit and Colonie Police K-9 Officer Eddie for their contributions in this investigation.”
According to police, Eddie successfully tracked Aquino throughout the area, located him in a concealed position, and ensured that he was safely taken into custody without injury to anyone involved.
Aquino was charged with robbery- first degree and grand larceny-second degree, both felonies, and criminal possession of a weapon 4th degree, a misdemeanor.
The defendant was arraigned in Colonie Town Court and remanded to the Albany County jail pending a preliminary hearing.
This is still an active and ongoing investigation. If you know something that might be relevant to this investigation, please contact the Colonie Police Investigations Division at 518-783-2754. If you wish to report a tip anonymously, you can call Capital Region Crimestoppers at 1-833-ALB-TIPS, or go to capitalregioncrimestoppers.com.
