West Hartford Police said suspects fled the scene of a bank robbery at the People’s United Bank branch located in the Stop & Shop store on Newington Road.

The Peoples United Bank inside the Stop & Shop on Newington Road in West Hartford was robbed on July 20. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford Police put an alert out to the public around 3 p.m. Wednesday, asking people to avoid the area around the Stop & Shop store at 176 Newington Road in the Elmwood section of town, and early in the evening Sgt. Amanda Martin confirmed that an investigation is underway following a robbery.

According to police, a report of a “hold up alarm” was received from the People’s United Bank inside the Stop & Shop store at approximately 2:20 p.m.

Martin said that a preliminary investigation indicated that the branch was robbed, and the suspects fled the scene before police arrived.

Police did not initially disclose the nature of the incident, but said there was no threat to the public and said that there was an active investigation underway.

No description of the suspects was provided, nor did police indicate whether or not a weapon was shown or inferred.

There has been a spate of robberies of People’s United Bank branches inside Stop & Shop stores in the past week, most recently in Southington on Monday night according to a report in the Hartford Courant.

At 4:40 p.m., it was business as usual at the Newington Road Stop & Shop, but the bank branch inside the store was closed, with signs at the counter stating “Due to an emergency, this branch is closed” and directing customers to a branch on Fenn Road in Newington.

The incident is under investigation by the West Hartford Patrol Division, Detective Division, and Community Support Unit.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has further information is asked to please call the West Hartford Police Department at 860-523-5203 or use the department’s anonymous tip line via email at [email protected] or by phone at 860-570-8969.

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