Police stopped Jesus Ashanti, a homeless man, and Yannick Fanis of Hartford on I-291 after the second robbery
This is an update of a story originally posted at 9:58 a.m.
SPRINGFIELD – Police arrested two men Friday morning in connection with two bank robberies in Springfield and Ludlow less than an hour apart, officials said.
Police arrested Jesus Ashanti, 34, who claimed to be homeless, and Yannick Fanis, 26, of 317 Lyme St., Hartford.
Springfield police charged Ashanti was charged with unarmed robbery and Fanis was charged with unarmed assault with intent to rob, said officer Charles Youmans, spokesman for Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet
Ludlow police charged each man with unarmed robbery, said Ludlow Detective Sgt. Thomas Foye.
No weapon was shown in either robbery, police said..
Youmans said each is also the subject of a “multi-jurisdictional investigation,” by area police to determine if either has been involved in a string of robberies in Western Massachusetts in the last month.
Springfield and Ludlow police are contacting police in Northampton, Agawam, Chicopee and South Hadley, he said.
Banks in each of those communities were robbed recently by a bearded black man wearing a distinctive hat.
“We’re trying to determine whether they are involved in those,” Youmans said. “There
is nothing to suggest it at this time.
Foye said “We have been in contact with surrounding departments. There appear to be some similarities.”
Youmans said Springfield police were called at about 9:30 a.m. to the TD North branch at 619 Chestnut Street, near Calhoun Park in the city’s Memorial Square neighborhood.
Tellers told police that a black man, about 30 years old and wearing a white hat, approached a teller and sought change for a $100 bill. When the teller opened the drawer, he reached over the counter and grabbed some cash, Youmans said.
Before he could grab very much, he ran out the door and was seen getting into a blue sedan with New York plates, he said.
Police broadcast a description of the robber and the car to surrounding towns, he said.
At about 10:20 a.m. Ludlow police were alerted by Citizens Bank, 645 Center St., that it had just been robbed, Foye said.
A black man with a beard and a some kind of white hat handed the teller a note demanding money.
The man fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash and was seen running to the rear of Randall’s Farm, 631 Center St, where the dye pack that had been slipped in with the money exploded, Foye said. Witnesses told police they saw the man get into a blue car with another man and drive off.
After Ludlow broadcast their description of the robbers to surrounding towns, Springfield detectives James Goldrick and Lt. Thomas Kennedy got on Interstate 291 and spotted a blue car matching the description from both robberies.
They pulled the car over and to question Fanis and Ashanti, Youmans said.
The detectives could see Ashanti was covered with dye from an exploded dye pack. They also recovered a large amount of money inside the car, he said.
The two men are being held at the Springfield police station until Monday when they will be arraigned in Springfield District Court.