His arraignment in Westfield District Court in connection with an Agawam case did not take place as anticipated.
Bank robbery suspect Gerund Mickens, of Bloomfield, Conn., appears in Springfield District Court on Friday.WESTFIELD – A 35-year-old Connecticut man remained in jail at the Hampden County Correctional Facility in Ludlow Monday while local police departments tried to determine if he is responsible for six recent bank robberies.
Gerund A. Mickens of Bloomfield, Conn., is being held at the Ludlow jail pending pre-trial proceedings in Springfield District Court, Richard J. McCarthy, public affairs officer, said Monday.
A spokeswoman for Hampden County District Attorney’s office said Mickens next scheduled court appearance is Jan. 14. That will be a pre-trial conference on motor vehicle charges stemming from a police chase Dec. 23 in West Springfield and Springfield.
Police in Chicopee, South Hadley, Springfield, Agawam and Northampton continue their investigations into unarmed bank robberies in those communities from Dec. 6 to Dec. 21.
“We are coordinating our investigation with police in other communities,” Chicopee Police Chief John R. Ferraro Jr. said. “It continues to be an active investigation involving departments in communities where robberies have occurred.”
Northampton Police Capt. Scott A. Savino said Northampton detectives are sharing information with their counterparts in Chicopee, Agawam, Springfield and South Hadley.
“Information is being shared. As of right now there are no (Northampton) arrests to report,” he said.
Ferraro was referring to a Dec. 6 robbery at Berkshire Bank and a Dec. 17 robbery at Citizens Bank, both on Memorial Drive in Chicopee. Savino referred to a Dec. 22 hold up of Florence Savings Bank in Northampton.
In each robbery, the suspect is described as a black male, 5 feet, 6 inches to 5 feet, 7 inches tall, in his 30s or 40s and have a grayish beard.
Mickens was arrested inside Hampden County Physician Associates office in Springfield the morning of Dec. 23 after crashing his Chevrolet Traverse shortly after 8 a.m. at Main and Emery streets while fleeing police.
He is charged with failure to stop for police, operating with a suspended license and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
Police found a note reading “this is a robbery” in Mickens’ vehicle.
Springfield District Court Judge Robert F. Howarth Jr., presiding at Mickens’ arraignment Dec. 24 on the motor vehicle violations, ordered him held in lieu of $5,000 pending his arraignment Monday in Westfield District Court Monday in the Agawam case.
Agawam police have a warrant naming Mickens in the Agawam bank robbery, Assistant District Attorney Ingrid Frau said last week.
Mickens remained at the Ludlow jail Monday and Westfield District Court officials had no paperwork indicating that he was supposed to be arraigned there.
Agawam police did not return repeated calls for comment Monday.
Also robbed was the TD Bank on Newton Street in South Hadley, Dec. 13; Bank of America on St. James Avenue in Springfield Dec. 13 and New Alliance Bank, North Westfield Street in Agawam on Dec. 21.