NYC Cop Tied To More Bank Robberies

Investigators Say Cadet Stole More Than $231,000 To Buy Car, Engagement Ring

(AP)  To his supervisors, rookie police officer Christian Torres was a "model cadet." He boasted a solid academic background, passed psychological screening and scored high marks in the academy, authorities said.

But on Friday they said he was also something else: A repeat bank robber.

Torres, already charged in an armed bank heist that netted $113,000 in Pennsylvania, was linked by investigators to two other bank robberies last year in Manhattan, police said. Authorities said he later splurged on a new car and engagement ring.

Torres was serving as a police cadet when he robbed a Manhattan bank of $16,500 with a threatening note on June 8, 2007, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told reporters on Friday.

Investigators say that about five months later, Torres struck at the same bank using a fake handgun, this time while enrolled in the police academy. The take: $102,000.

The same day as the second holdup he put down $18,500 cash on a new car, police said. Sometime later he bought his girlfriend a diamond engagement ring - police did not know the cost - and paid off a $2,500 college loan.

Kelly called it a "shocking story," citing Torres' reputation as a "model cadet." Since being assigned to transit patrol in January, the Queens resident had made seven arrests, the commissioner said.

Torres, now 21, appeared to be "smart and hardworking, with tremendous potential," Kelly said.

Investigators allege that Torres admitted being involved in the earlier robberies while under questioning about the heist Thursday in northeast Pennsylvania.

Torres' Pennsylvania defense attorney, Paul Missan, said Friday that he didn't know the details of the New York allegations. Formal charges were pending.

Missan said his client was "a fine young man."

Police in Muhlenberg Township have accused Torres of using a real gun to force bank employees into a vault before stuffing $113,000 in large bills into a white shopping bag and fleeing in a car. He was caught after the employees pointed out the car to police responding to a silent alarm.

On Thursday, a judge in Pennsylvania doubled Torres' bail to $1 million after prosecutors revealed the suspected two-state robbery spree targeting three branches of Sovereign Bank. Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams described the case as "very unfortunate."

[michellem99-2009]

a cop..it don''t surprise me as they they train to be then be a bad asre. Turn in that badge..They have to do better in the cop shop..

[pfd572]

My use of ''you'' in my previous post was not a personal address but directed to all far right wing comments and commentators.

[pfd572]

glock4me: I hope your comment about cheney''s first name and CBS was tongue-in-cheek right wing silliness. His first name is blocked because...will isn''t it obvious.

Will right wingers please stop crying foul against the media and its ''liberal bent'' every time they they don''t like a story. Its getting old and becoming a joke, not in a good way. It has a lot to do with credibility and, boy, are you all rapidly losing yours with your constant one-note conspiracy theories. That, and you predictable remarks that if someone doesn''t agree with you its because they are insipid, traitors and disloyal. ho hum

[glock4me]

Glock4me, "Personally, I hope that Cheney comes along for the hunt!"

That is perhaps the funniest line that I have ever read in a post. My sides are still aching.


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Posted by one4gipper at 01:33 AM : Apr 13, 2008

one4gipper, glad you enjoyed that one. I almost added something about Teddy Kennedy driving them, but I think I still made my point.

What is this world coming to, it seems to get worse by the day. You cant trust the cops, Judges, your friends or your next door neighbor. It used to be that a simple hand shake was good enough and really was all you needed.

[jt_lancer]

NYPD - To protect and serve.

[republic1776]

Good Cops have a criminal mind.
It''s a fine line between good and evil.
It''s like playing for the Yankees or the Mets.

[swwils]

That is the most unlikely place to find a bank robber,the NYPD.I will say WOW! Genius,he probably went to the police academy to learn evasive tactics,and other fine skills that would make him the ultimate bank robber.That damned old greed ,it will get ya almost every time.He should have put the money up towards retirement,and would possibly never have been caught.Twenty years on the force,20 bank heist that is one good 401k plan he was working on.

[swwils]

Police are people too.Money makes us do things that we probably wouldn''t do if, we didn''t need it so much.Bush has nothing to do with this,or the VP.

[one4gipper]

Glock4me, "Personally, I hope that Cheney comes along for the hunt!"

That is perhaps the funniest line that I have ever read in a post. My sides are still aching.