Rochester, N.Y. — Authorities have arrested a suspect and recovered all $452,600 stolen during a dramatic armed bank robbery in the town of Sweden earlier this week, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday.
Sheriff Todd Baxter said the robbery occurred around 4:10 p.m. Monday at the M&T Bank on Fourth Section Road, near the village of Brockport. An armed man entered the bank, forced all occupants into a bathroom, and then compelled two employees to take him to the vault, where he made off with nearly half a million dollars in cash.
“This was an incredible bank robbery, almost from a movie,” Baxter said during a press briefing. “When you see the totality of it, it could be in a movie.”
The suspect fled the scene in a blue Honda Civic, which broke down a short while later in Hamlin. A vigilant citizen spotted the vehicle near Lake Road and Roosevelt Highway and later saw a black GMC Terrain, previously seen with the Civic, leave the area. The individual continued observing and relaying information to deputies, aiding significantly in the investigation.
Deputies located the GMC behind a Tops supermarket in Hamlin. Inside, they found robbery evidence and recovered the stolen money. Two men were taken into custody, and one — John Savage, 49, of Rochester — was charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree grand larceny. He is currently being held in Monroe County Jail on $50,000 bail.
Investigators believe the GMC was used to pick up the Honda driver after the vehicle failed. The sheriff’s office is asking residents along the route — from Fourth Section Road to Roosevelt Highway — to check surveillance footage that may help link the suspect vehicles.
Sgt. Dave Bolton emphasized the importance of public assistance: “If you live along that route, I’m looking for video that can put these cars together.”
Authorities say the second man detained could also face charges as the investigation continues.
“In my time here, it was definitely the biggest bank robbery we’ve ever had,” Bolton added, “and certainly the biggest recovery of funds from a bank robbery.”
Anyone with information or video footage is urged to contact mcsotips@monroecounty.gov or call 911.
