If we’re not careful around here Hollywood’s going to wind up extending its CSI or Law & Order TV series to Wellesley and start promoting stories “ripped from headlines.” Between Wellesley College campus flashers, daytime home break-ins and yesterday’s bank robberybomb scares it’s getting downright tabloidy around here.
Photo: FBI
Here’s a recap of yesterday’s action, according to Wellesley police and various news reports:
* 3:45pm Thursday, police got a hangup call from Star Market, investigated along with the Fire Department and noticed a suspicious device hanging from a payphone outside the store on Washington St. Student-athletes were evacuated from nearby playing fields.
* About 70 people, employees and customers, were evaculated from Star Market and Rite Aid Pharmacy as a perimeter was erected and nearby traffic diverted by police.
* Just after 4pm police got 911 calls about an armed robbery at the Bank of America at 342 Washington St. Police responded, but the suspect (described as 5-foot, 9-inches in dark clothes) fled on foot to a car behind the bank and took off. A suspicious device was left on the bank counter.
* The state’s bomb squad and the FBI got into the action and the suspicious devices were “rendered safe.”
* Authorities are trying to determine whether the Star Market incident was a decoy to enable the bank robbery, and also whether the robbery is linked to similar incidents recently in Needham and Holbrook.
* Wellesley residents buzzed as helicopters buzzed around. Others were stuck at South Station or out toward Worcester as commuter trains were delayed. Once online observers noted: “the most excitement Wellesley has had in all it’s existence.” Traffic was freed up by around 7:30pm in the vicinity of the incidents.
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