GREAT BARRINGTON — Four New York residents were arrested Thursday afternoon after one of them allegedly stole money from the Berkshire Bank branch on Stockbridge Road, police said — and other locations may also have been targeted.
A woman who was in the bank about 2:45 p.m. grabbed a sum of money and fled after an employee flagged the transaction as fraudulent, according to a statement released late Thursday afternoon by Great Barrington Police.
She jumped into a black Honda Accord with a purple fender and headed north, prompting an alert of nearby agencies, police said. Stockbridge Police Officer Rosario Messina stopped the car a short time later on Main Street near The Red Lion Inn.
“A large amount of cash was secured from the vehicle and occupants,” Great Barrington Police Chief Paul Storti said in prepared remarks. “We are looking into the possibility that other banks may have also been victim of this group.”
It was not clear how much money was recovered, or how much was taken from the Great Barrington branch.
Desmond Collins, 34, of Queens; Adam Lamar, 30, of Irvington, N.Y.; Christopher Wright, 32, of the Bronx; and Shamina Cruz, 45, of Manhattan, all were charged with unarmed robbery and larceny over $1,200.
They were ordered held at the Great Barrington lockup on bail amounts that vary from $5,000 to $9,000.
The investigation is ongoing, police said, additional charges might be filed later.