In Custody On Separate Robbery Charges—

Wolcott Man Investigated

In Chase Bank Robbery

By Andrew Gorosko

Newtown police said Wednesday they believe they have identified a 26-year-old Wolcott man who robbed the Chase Bank branch office at 30 Church Hill Road on Monday.

Newtown police Lieutenant George Sinko said that Newtown police believe that a man whom Southington police arrested on Tuesday on criminal charges stemming from a Southington bank robbery on April 16 is the same man who robbed the Chase Bank.

In a statement, Southington police said that on Saturday, April 16, at about 11:56 am, the Webster Bank branch office at 359 Queen Street, Southington, was robbed.

A male entered the bank and passed a note to a teller indicating he had a firearm and that he was robbing the bank. On Monday, April 18, it is believed this same individual committed another bank robbery in Newtown, Southington police said.

On Tuesday, April 19, investigators developed information that Brian J. Lavigne, 26, whose last known address is 1530 Wolcott Road, Wolcott, could be responsible for these robberies, Southington police said.

Investigators began interviewing family and associates of Lavigne. Several calls were received by police after his surveillance photos were seen in the media. Eventually, a number of family and associates identified Lavigne from the photos, Southington police said.

Investigators tracked Lavigne to a residence in Waterbury where he was taken into custody and placed under arrest. Lavigne has since confessed to his involvement in both the Southington and Newtown robberies, Southington police said.

Southington police held Lavigne on $250,000 bail.  A judge increased that bail to $500,000 when Lavigne was arraigned in Bristol Superior Court on Wednesday. Lavigne entered no pleas concerning the Southington bank robbery.

Lavigne is next scheduled appear in Bristol Superior Court on May 19. Lavigne was being held on Thursday  at the Hartford Correctional Center. 

 Southington police charged Lavigne with first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, fourth-degree larceny, and conspiracy to commit fourth-degree larceny. Southington police said that other arrests are expected.

Lt Sinko said, “We hope to make an arrest soon.”

Newtown police are working with Southington police in investigating the Chase Bank robbery, he said.

On Monday at about 3:12 pm, the Chase Bank branch office was robbed, after which the robber fled the scene, eluding capture.

There were no injuries in the incident, in which the robber stole an unspecified amount of money from the bank, police said.

Police received a 911 call from the bank reporting that it had been robbed by a lone male who had just left the bank.

Newtown police responded to the scene, secured the area and started a search using their German shepherd in seeking the robber.

Police learned that the robber had left the area in what was described as an older model gray sedan which was possibly a Honda or an Acura. A witness described the vehicle as having a loud knocking noise coming from its engine.

In investigating, police learned that the robber had passed a note to a teller which implied that he had a weapon, but no weapons were shown during the incident, Lt Sinko said.

The robber was described as a white male either in his 20s or 30s who is about five feet, five inches tall. He was wearing a dark-colored shirt, sunglasses, and a dark baseball cap.

There were two customers in the bank at the time of the robbery, but they were unaware of what was occurring, Lt Sinko said. Police interviewed those customers, he added.

After the crime, the robber got into the getaway vehicle, which was driven by another person, Lt Sinko said. The sedan had been parked along the western side of the property. The vehicle was last seen heading eastward on Church Hill Road toward Interstate 84.

Newtown police notified all area police departments to be on the watch for the vehicle.

Chase Bank temporarily closed for business after the incident as police investigated the crime.

The last bank robbery to occur in Newtown happened last June 17 when Newtown Savings Bank on Main Street was robbed. Police arrested that robber several hours after the crime.