Police: Man who robbed Cranston bank was North Providence standoff suspect

CRANSTON, R.I. (WLNE) — The Cranston Police Department said they arrested a suspect in the robbery of the Park Avenue Citizens Bank.

Chief Michael Winquist said police arrested Gino Rotondo of Cranston early Saturday morning. Rotondo is the man who had a standoff with police in North Providence in July 2022.

The arrest occurred after several officers with prior contact with the suspect recognized him from surveillance footage.

Rotondo, who is 58-years-old, lived a few blocks from the bank, Winquist said. He added that Rotondo had posted bail for the the North Providence standoff in April.

A police SWAT team and bomb squad were then dispatched to Rotondo’s residence, and found that he was not there.

Winquist said that it was then learned that Rotondo may be hiding at a storage facility on Phenix Avenue. Detectives searched the area, found him sleeping in a storage unit with a small amount of cash, and arrested him.

Rotondo is accused of entering the  Citizens Bank early Friday afternoon and handing the teller a note demanding money. He then fled on a bicycle.

He is expected to be arraigned for second degree robbery. He also has an active warrant from Coventry police for shoplifting and violating a no contact order, Winquist said.

During the standoff last year, Rotondo barricaded himself and his wife with an AR-15 inside their home for 16 hours before surrendering.