By Neale Gulley<br><a href="mailto:gulleyn@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Neale</a>
A North Tonawanda man was arrested Tuesday after admitting to police that he robbed the Citizens Bank branch inside Tops market in the Mid-City Plaza on Dec. 23.
Arthur J. Does, 48, 136 Schenck St., was taken in for questioning Tuesday also related to a subsequent theft of a liter of Southern Comfort from Yankee Spirits, the liquor store next door to Tops. The liquor theft happened roughly a week after the bank robbery.
Police Capt. William Hall said Does admitted to both crimes during questioning Tuesday.
He indicated there may have been few if any quality witnesses to the bank robbery. The amount of cash stolen still has not been made public.
“(Detective Todd Bush) was doing an investigation on a larceny in the liquor store in Mid-City Plaza — Yankee Spirits — and he developed some information that (Does) was a suspect in that and some other information tying him to the bank robbery,” Hall said.
He declined to go into specifics. No clear motive is being released by police “other than he needed the money.”
Does told police he is unemployed.
“It involved a lot of leg work on Detective Bush’s part,” Hall said. “He had to follow up more than usual to get this guy in and question him.”
Four bank robberies occurred in two weeks in December throughout the Tonawandas. The cash grab at Tops came just a day after a similar heist at a Key Bank branch in the same plaza. No suspect has been arrested in connection to the latter robbery.
Contact reporter Neale Gulley at 693-1000, ext. 114.
