NYC Man Accesses Secure Bank Area, Flees In Yellow Penske Truck: Cops

MIDDLETOWN, NY — A bizarre burglary at a Hudson Valley bank saw a suspect flee ahead of a police perimeter, but the escape was short-lived, according to authorities.

The City of Middletown Police Department says they were contacted on Jan. 15 by staff at the Orange Bank and Trust, on Dolson Ave., about a suspicious man who had accessed a secure area of the bank.

Bank employees told police that the suspect had allegedly forced his way through a locked interior door, and then pretended to be a contractor to access the second and third floor, where the bank's administrative offices are located. He was believed to be somewhere inside of the bank, but staff members were unsure of where he might be.

Police officers and detectives responded to the scene and set up a perimeter around the building. A search was then started using a police K-9, but the suspect was not found. Surveillance cameras showed that he had left the bank right before police arrived, and fled the scene in a yellow Penske rental truck, driving south on Dolson Ave. However, officers were unable to immediately find the suspect vehicle.

A Middletown detective, who is assigned to the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center (HVCAC), developed an investigative bulletin for distribution to local law enforcement agencies. Using HVCAC's resources, he was able to quickly research the crime and find a similar incident that took place in the City of Kingston several days before. A suspect vehicle was identified using a license plate reader camera on Dolson Ave., which matched the description of the vehicle that was seen on the bank's surveillance footage.

At 6:45 p.m., a license plate reader in the Town of Woodbury recorded the suspect vehicle traveling in the vicinity of Larkin Drive. Woodbury police searched the area for the vehicle, but were initially unable to find it.

Around 7:21 p.m., a Town of Woodbury police officer saw the suspect vehicle on Larkin Drive and tried to stop it. The suspect did not comply, and was soon involved in a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Larkin Drive and NY State Route 17. He fled on foot, but was captured by officers. The suspect was then arrested on charges stemming from the failure to comply and vehicle pursuit.

The Town of Woodbury Police Department then contacted the City of Middletown Police Department to let them know that the suspect and the suspect vehicle had been located, and that the suspect had been arrested.

59-year-old Edward Alexander, of Manhattan, was charged with felony third degree burglary. He was arraigned in Middletown City Court on January 16, where he was remanded to Orange County Jail without bail due to being a three-time felony offender, with a long history of arrests in NYS and several other states.

The City of Middletown Police Department thanked the Town of Woodbury Police Department for their help in finding Alexander and arresting him. They also thanked the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center for their close partnership, allowing for immediate access to a comprehensive network of investigative resources and the ability to rapidly share information with law enforcement agencies statewide, which they say contributed significantly to the successful outcome in this case.