FROM HPD

On 6/5/14 at 1:35pm, Peoples United Bank , 290 Franklin Avenue, Htfd. CT. reported a bank robbery where a large white male suspect, wearing a pink wig, sunglasses, blue plaid shirt and white gloves, walked into the main lobby of this bank and displayed a hand written note which read (something close to) ‘THIS IS A ROBBERY’. This suspect then ordered the bank manager, Pina Lo Curzio, to get him cash from the sole male bank teller. Curzio complied and then handed the suspect $790.00 U.S. currency (all in ten dollar bills) at which time the suspect exited the bank. Witnesses reported that the suspect left the area in a blue Nissan Maxima with Mass plates.

MCD Robbery Detectives investigated the incident and distributed Wanted flyers and emails to fellow Hartford Police Officers,  CTIC , D.O.C. and surrounding Law Enforcement Agencies.

On 6/12/14 , Detectives were contacted by New Britain Detectives who were investigating a New Britain Robbery which had a similar suspect and vehicle description. Both agencies exchanged photos and information regarding their robbery investigations.

On 6/19/14 Hartford Police South Conditions Officers initiated a proactive stop on a suspicious vehicle (bearing Mass plates) in the south end which lead to the arrest of Festim Shyqeriu (8/16/93) documented under HPD case # 14-20049. This arrest produced several items in the suspect’s vehicle consisting of one black bb gun, one pink wig, and a hand written note which read “hand me all the money now.”

Detectives post-Miranda interviewed Shyqeriu in a MCD interview room at which time he confessed to the above described bank robbery and provided a sworn written statement which contained his full confession.

HPD and NBPD Detectives then interviewed Shyqeriu on the New Britain robbery which he also admitted to conducting . Shyqueriu then provided NB with a full written sworn written confession. 

Shyqeriu was then escorted to the Hartford police Booking Facility on separate charges.

HPD Robbery Detectives then obtained an arrest warrant for Festim Shyqueriu for the Peoples United Bank robbery under HPD case # 14-18172 with the charge of ROBBERY in the THIRD DEGREE (53a-136).

On 6/20/14 this arrest warrant was “walked thru” and signed by a judge at Hartford Superior Court, 101 Lafayette street, Hartford, CT.