Wellsburg man wanted for robberies arrested in New York City

ARREST MADE — Brandon Scerri, who was wanted for robberies in Washington and North Strabane, Pa., has been arrested in New York.
— Contributed

A Wellsburg man charged with robbing banks in Washington and North Strabane, Pa., has been arrested near New York City, according to police.

Brandon Scerri, 29, was in custody after allegedly robbing a bank in New York, according to Facebook posts Thursday from the Washington and North Strabane police departments. Neither offered details on when the New York robbery took place, the bank’s location, or when Scerri was arrested.

Scerri was wanted in connection with the robberies of Washington Financial Bank on East Wylie Avenue on June 3, and First National Bank on state Route 19 in North Strabane on June 5. In the North Strabane robbery, Scerri and a companion, Kayla Pruett, 28, also of Wellsburg, have been charged with several counts of robbery. Pruett was also arrested in New York, according to police. Pruett has not yet been charged in connection to the Washington heist.

Scerri will be extradited to Pennsylvania pending criminal proceedings in New York.

Police were called to Washington Financial Bank on June 3 after the suspect, wearing a black surgical mask and black hooded jacket, allegedly handed a teller a note saying he had a gun and that unless he got money “no one inside the bank is going home.” Dissatisfied with getting only $155, the robber demanded to see a teller’s cash drawer, and he had to be told to pull a door open and not push it when he left the bank, according to the criminal complaint.

Scerri allegedly stole $7,450 from the North Strabane bank, according to court documents. After that robbery, Scerri and Pruett purchased items at a Walgreens store in Canonsburg and ate at a KFC restaurant, police say.