Two men arrested in South River bank robbery trying to hail cab
By Tom Haydon/The Star-Ledger
October 14, 2009, 5:40PM
SOUTH RIVER — Two men were arrested in connection with a robbery at a South River bank today only minutes following the $7,600 heist, after an employee followed the men to a taxi cab stand in the borough, police said today.
Steven Sparnock, 44, of South River, and Brian Niewinski, 48, formerly of Sayreville, were arrested about three blocks from the Provident Bank on Jackson Street shortly after the robbery, borough police Sgt. Eric Gartner said.
Gartner said that Sparnock entered the bank at 9:06 a.m. and handed a note to teller stating he had a gun and demanding money. After stuffing the cash in his pocket, police said Sparnock walked outside where Niewinski was waiting and the two men walked about three blocks to a taxi stand on Obert Street.
As bank employees called police and officers quickly sent out reports describing the suspect, an employee got in his car and followed the two men to the taxi stand, Gartner said. Another borough employee heard the police broadcast and called headquarters to report seeing a man fitting the robber’s description on Obert Street, the sergeant said.
Gartner said officers arrived as the stand about the same as the bank employee.
“He jumped out of the car started shouting, ‘That’s them. That’s them,’ ” Gartner said.
Members of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and FBI agents assisted borough police in their investigation of the robbery, the sergeant said. He said the money was recovered.
Both men were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and Sparnock was also charged with robbery. Both men are being held at the Middlesex County jail in North Brunswick on $75,000 each