Sherrod Young, a 73-year-old man from Harlem, allegedly held up an Upper East Side bank using a loaded .45 caliber Ruger pistol. This incident occurred nearly 31 years after his last bank heist. Young, who has four grown children, shocked his family with this crime. Authorities stated that Young entered a TD Bank on 3rd Avenue and East 96th Street wearing sunglasses and a mask, demanding cash from the security guard and teller.
During the robbery, Young pointed the gun at the employees, instructing them to remain quiet and give him all the money, specifically requesting big bills. The teller complied and handed over $1,300, unknowingly including a hidden GPS tracker inside the bag of money. Law enforcement officials were able to track Young using the GPS chip and subsequently arrested him about a mile away from the bank in Harlem as he returned to his car.
Police found the mask in his pocket, and the money and gun were discovered in his car. Despite the successful robbery, one police source noted that Young was not a criminal mastermind. His last bank heist dated back to 1994, where he pleaded guilty to 15 counts of bank robbery and served time in prison. Since then, his sister Sadie Randolph noted that Young had reformed his ways, emphasizing his love for his children and his involvement in church.
Although Young had turned his life around, Randolph mentioned that his behavior had become increasingly strange, causing concern among family members. A cousin reported that Young had been acting erratically at a party and needed medical attention, while Randolph herself noticed changes in his speech patterns. She speculated that his recent criminal behavior could have been a result of financial struggles related to medical bills from his recent hospitalization.
Randolph explained that Young had recently retired as a security guard and was receiving Social Security benefits. She expressed concern for his health, mentioning that he had suffered health issues including heart and vision problems. Young’s actions were described as out of character, leading his sister to believe that he was not the same person she had known. Despite his struggles, Young is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as a result of the bank robbery incident.
