Cannata, of Columbia, was charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree larceny, first-degree kidnapping with a firearm, possession of a firearm, and first-degree reckless endangerment, police said.
Ramos, of 8 Robin Terrace, East Hartford, was charged with first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, and first-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, police said.
Cannata, whom DeMarco said has a lengthy criminal record, was held in lieu of a $1 million bond while Ramos was held in lieu of a $500,000 bond. Both will be arraigned in Enfield Superior Court on Monday.
At 3:50 p.m. on Friday Cannata, donning a black jacket, biker helmet, and gloves walked into the bank with a large caliber revolver in tow, DeMarco said. He pointed the gun at employees and demanded they hand over money, DeMarco said. He stuffed the cash - an undisclosed amount - into a large backpack and took off on his motorcycle, he added. No one was injured.
Members of the Hartford Police Department, who were assisting, nabbed the suspects just before 4:30 p.m. as they were traveling in Ramos' car, police said. Cannata had stashed his motorbike and gotten into the vehicle with Ramos, police said.
Bank employees were at an advantage, though, as they were trained a week earlier on how to respond to robberies.
Local police schooled workers on theft prevention and procedures to follow if the bank is robbed, DeMarco said.
"They followed directions perfectly," he said, noting that employees called immediately with a description of the suspect and his vehicle. "Their actions had a direct impact in how quickly we caught them."
The town's first selectman, Edward Filipone, said he breathed a sigh of relief Friday when officers announced the arrests.
"We've had a few incidents like this in the past, but it's still a pretty abnormal situation for East Windsor," he said.
Police said they plan to extend the theft prevention program to other local businesses. |
