Charlestown man walks in on holdup, tackles bank robber

CHARLESTOWN, Mass. (WHDH) -- A bank customer walked into the Cooperative Bank in Charlestown and realized he walked in on a holdup in progress.

“I just happened to be in the bank this morning. Cashing a check. I noticed a robbery in progress,” said Jim Andrea.

“I caught it inside. You see the hat, the wig, the glasses. I could see the fear inside the teller's eyes.”

Andrea ended up tackling the suspect in the parking lot and holding them down until police arrived.

“I just kept his hands away from his belt. I didn’t know if he had a knife or a gun.”

Andrea said it felt like he held him down for a long time, “It was probably only three minutes or so. It seemed like endless.

Boston Police detectives, along with the F.B.I. recovered a hat, glasses, and a wig in the bank parking lot. Andrea was not looking for any accolades. He was just thankful it ended the way it did.

“Everything worked out okay, I guess. They are okay. No one got hurt. Except for he is in trouble. That is about it.”

The bank reopened late this morning. The suspect is headed to court to face multiple charges now. Investigators said that, what happened inside the bank and outside the bank this morning was all caught on security.