Bradford County Bank Robbery Suspects Are Arrested in Minutes

Pennsylvania State Police say a Bradford County teen and a Virginia man are accused of robbing the Citizens and Northern Bank in East Smithfield at around 1 yesterday afternoon.

Police say 18 year old Chaz Talada of Columbia Crossroads is accused of brandishing a handgun and demanding money from a teller while 23 year old Zachary Etka of  Richmond, Va. remained in the passenger seat of the pair’s vehicle.

Etka and Talada were located along with their vehicle parked at the Dandy Mini Mart on the Berwick Turnpike in Rigebury Township on the Pennsylvania/ New York border by a New York State Trooper who saw the car that matched the description of the get-away vehicle.

A Pennsylvania State Trooper and a Chemung County Sheriff’s Deputy took the pair into custody without incident about 40 minutes after the robbery.

The gun and the money were recovered.

Both admitted their involvement in the armed robbery and were sent to the Bradford County Jail on $400,000 bail.