Dan Hust | Democrat State troopers search for clues in the parking lot of Head Plaza on Route 17B in Callicoon, where the Jeff Bank in the background had been robbed shortly before on Wednesday afternoon..

Second Callicoon bank held up

By Frank Rizzo
CALLICOON — For the second time in less than a week, a bank was robbed in Callicoon.
At about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, State Police responded to a report of a robbery at the First National Bank of Jeffersonville branch on Route 17B in the Head Plaza.
Bank employees told police that a masked man, armed with a gun, entered the bank and demanded money. After taking an unknown amount, he fled in a vehicle, described by witnesses “as an older model Pontiac, light blue in color, with the front license plate covered with a plastic bag.”
It was last seen traveling east on Route 17B. Police set up vehicle checkpoints in the area, and a State Police helicopter flew overhead, its spotlight searching in the Callicoon Creek-Delaware River area and elsewhere.
“We believe there are two people involved,” said Senior Investigator Mike Orrego yesterday morning, adding that no additional information was available.
Investigators are looking through the bank’s internal videotapes.
Following the robbery, bank employees contacted local emergency services to treat Branch Manager Sandy Ross, who was taken to Grover Hermann Hospital in Callicoon and later airlifted to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. Her condition was reported to have been improving as of press time.
Wayne Zanetti, president and CEO of The First National Bank of Jeffersonville, said, “Our staff did a great job as did the State Police in responding to the incident.
“The performance of our staff was excellent,” Zanetti said. “They reacted just like they are trained to react.”
Anyone with information is requested to contact the New York State Police at Liberty at 292-6600.
The Bank of America in Callicoon was robbed Friday morning, and two Connecticut-based suspects were caught by State Police an hour later while fleeing back to their state. The stolen cash was recovered from their car.
Fred Stabbert III and Dan Hust contributed to this story.