YARMOUTH — Police arrested a 22-year-old Yarmouth man Wednesday in connection with an attempted robbery at Norway Savings Bank Tuesday afternoon.

Police said Rodrick J. MacLean, 22, of Old County Road, is being held at the Cumberland County Jail on $200,000 cash bail. 

The incident was the town’s first attempted bank robbery in nearly 40 years.

Police Lt. Dean Perry said MacLean allegedly tried to rob the bank at 688 Route 1 Tuesday afternoon at about 2:25 p.m. He said MacLean was identified by a viewer who saw the suspect’s photo on a television news broadcast.

McLean, who wore a light brown jacket, jeans and a multicolored knit hat, allegedly approached a teller asking to open an account. The teller brought the man to a sales associate and he handed her a note asking for money. The note said he had a weapon. 

The employee told the man there was not that much money available, Perry said, and the suspect became frustrated and left the bank.

He walked south on the Beth Condon pathway, the officer said, after being in the bank for about four minutes.

“Once we saw he was headed in that direction, we locked down the Rowe School,” Perry said. “We weren’t sure if he would try to interact with the students in any way.”

The William H. Rowe School has 182 students in kindergarten through first grade.

Superintendent Judy Paulucci said the process of protecting the students and locking the school was very smooth.

“There was no panic, the police did a fabulous job, and the teachers and principal took control of the situation,” she said.

Paulucci said the action was precautionary, and there was no one on the school grounds, but because the bank is so close, the lock-down was necessary. An e-mail was sent to parents, and school dismissal took place on time with slight alterations, Paulucci said.

The robbery suspect’s trail was found with the help of a police dog, and the perimeter of the lock-down was kept for about an hour, Perry said.

Perry said the last bank robbery police can remember was in 1971 at the Key Bank on Main Street.

Amy Anderson can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 110 or aanderson@theforecaster.net

This story was updated on Thursday, Feb. 25.

Sidebar Elements

---

Rodrick J. MacLeanA bank surveillance camera captured this image of the man who tried to rob the Norway Savings Bank on Route 1 in Yarmouth on Tuesday, Feb. 23.