Suspected bank robber held on $25,000 bail Girlfriend's mother tipped police to his whereabouts

By Terry Date
Staff writer

May 06, 2008 06:00 am

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WINDHAM — A tip from his girlfriend's mother led to last week's arrest of a man accused of robbing a local bank three years ago.

Additional details from the case emerged yesterday in Salem District Court at a probable cause hearing for Jesus Morales, 30, of 11 High St., Hampton. At the hearing, the judge ruled that there was probable cause for Morales' detention and maintained bail at $25,000 cash.

Windham police have charged Morales with robbing Citizens Bank on Route 111 on June 29, 2005. The charge followed an April 23 phone call from Judy Methot, who told police that her daughter is Morales' girlfriend, according to an affidavit.

Methot said her daughter, Patricia, told her several months ago that Morales had committed the 2005 bank robbery. Methot also told police that Morales is the man shown in a surveillance photograph from the bank holdup.

In addition, Methot told police that in June 2005, Morales had access to a green Jeep Cherokee, which a witness saw parked at the bank during the robbery. Methot told police that her daughter and Morales were living in Derry in 2005, and had a green Jeep Cherokee that she had given them, the affidavit states.

Morales' lawyer argued for lower bail yesterday, saying the evidence against her client is "highly suspect."

Public defender Deanna Campbell questioned Methot's motivation for informing police about Morales, and also asked why the mother waited months to report the tip to police.

"I think this is a very weak case," Campbell said.

But Windham police Sgt. Ed Fedele told the court that the teller in the case identified Morales' photograph from an array of pictures. The teller began to cry and shake when she saw his photograph, according to an affidavit.

On June 29, 2005, the robber brandished a handgun to the teller before ordering her to place all the money in her drawer in the robber's backpack. The teller slipped a dye packet in the pack. Police later recovered the pack and money from the side of a highway after the packet exploded.

In court yesterday, Windham police prosecutor Heather Newell listed Morales' criminal history, including arrests for robbery and armed robbery.

Morales' case is a felony level offense and will likely be brought before a grand jury. Often, bank robbery cases wind up in federal court. He is being held at Rockingham County Jail.