ATLANTIC CITY – Atlantic City Police announced the arrest of a man Dec. 16 wanted in connection to a bank robbery in Ocean City Dec. 15.
Ocean City Police Department released surveillance images of the suspect to the public. The suspect was later identified as Bruce Higgins Jr., 42, of Herndon, Va., by Atlantic City Police Officers James Bower and Anthony Grajales who recognized the suspect from a prior police interaction. Ocean City Police Department was notified of Higgins’ identity. Law enforcement advised local TD Bank branches to hit their emergency alarm if they observed Higgins enter the bank.
Police said members of the FBI and Atlantic City Police Department were looking for Higgins in Atlantic City when at 12:18 p.m. Dec. 16, he entered the TD Bank located at 15 North Pennsylvania Avenue in Atlantic City. Bank personnel hit their emergency alarm initiating a police response. Higgins left the bank without speaking to anyone.
Officer Brian Fleming arrived at TD Bank in reference to the alarm. A witness informed Fleming that Higgins left in a cab and provided the cab number and direction of travel. The cab was located at South Carolina and Atlantic avenues by several officers. Higgins had already exited the cab. Officers began to look for Higgins who was observed walking on South Carolina Avenue after exiting the bank. Officers Brent Dooley, Jeffrey Hannon, Valmir Loga, Bryan O’Neill and John Sharkey approached Higgins and ordered him to the ground. Higgins at first refused to comply with the orders. After several minutes, Higgins was placed in custody.
According to police, Higgins allegedly provided the Ocean City bank teller with a note indicating that he had a gun. The teller turned over more than $1,000 in cash to Higgins. All of the money was recovered and a gun was not located.
Higgins is wanted by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and the FBI Atlantic City Resident Agency for questioning related to the robbery of the TD Bank in Ocean City. The FBI, Baltimore Division, Violent Crimes Task Force also wants Higgins for questioning in reference to robberies at two banks and a grocery store in Maryland.
Higgins was remanded to the Atlantic County Jail. His bail is not known at this time.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. This report is based on information received from law enforcement.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
