Suspected Bank Robber Waives Prelim

The man who police say robbed the PNC bank in Abington on Aug. 10 waived his preliminary hearing in front of District Judge Juanita Price, according to Abington Deputy Chief John Livingood.

Aaron K. M. Thomas, 47, of the 100 block of North 54th Street, Philadelphia was charged with robbery in connection with a late-morning bank robbery at 123 Old York Road in Abington.

He is being held at Montgomery County Prison on $500,000 bail; he will be formally arraigned Oct. 10.

Livingood said that he anticipates that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be adopting the case; he added that it’s possible that Thomas could be the suspect in other robbery cases.

Thomas has a lengthy criminal history including several convictions for retail theft and a conviction for robbery in March 2001 in Philadelphia in which he received a sentence of two to five years’ confinement.

According to police, Thomas placed a bag on the counter of the bank, demanded money, and fled in a dark Range Rover. He gave chase through Philadelphia.

During the chase, police said Thomas “purposely struck” an Abington K-9 vehicle near the Fox Street exit of Roosevelt Boulevard. The officer involved in the crash was not injured, but the dog, Bandit, was euthanized on Monday, though it’s unclear whether the crash had anything to do with the dog’s failing health.

Following the hit-and-run, a low speed chase — at speeds of about 15 mph — took police to the area of 17th Street and Oxford Avenue in Philadelphia. There, police said Thomas crashed into a car after running a red light, crashed into another police vehicle, and crashed into a light pole. Thomas, the Range Rover’s sole occupant, exited the vehicle and fled with a bag of money in his hand, according to police. He was arrested a short distance away.