(First in an occasional series highlighting the most wanted criminals in Brooklyn; information taken from the NYPD Crime Stoppers web site)

Surveillance photo of Chase Bank robbery suspect; 84th Precinct (NYPD Crimestoppers)

A man wanted in connection with a Downtown bank robbery last month has been classified as the “most wanted” bank robber in New York by the NYPD.

Detectives from the 84th Precinct are investigating a robbery that occured at the Chase Bank at DeKalb Avenue and Fleet Street on October 26 at around 3:45 p.m.  The suspect approached the teller with a demand note and recieved an unknown amount of U.S. currency before fleeing the bank on foot.

The suspect is described as a black male between 25 and 30 years old, standing approximately 6 feet to 6 feet, 2 inches tall, weighs approxmately 250 pounds, and sported a beard at the time of the robbery.  He was wearing a blue Mets baseball cap, a blue hooded jacket, a black shirt and black pants.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, text “TIP577″ with your information to “CRIMES” (274637), or submit your information online.  All information will be kept confidential.

One of the NYPD’s most wanted fugitives – the man dubbed the “Red Sox Robber” accused of mugging straphangers in Brooklyn and other boroughs – was arrested last night in North Carolina.

Rasheem Williams, 37, and two other fugitives wanted by the NYPD were arrested over the weekend after a tip led investigators from the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Police Department and the U.S. Marshall’s Service to a residence on the 800 block of Sunset Avenue, Rocky Mount.

Williams had been accused of two June muggings at two Brooklyn subway stations among the 15 he had been accused of committing.  The incidents primarily occured in Manhattan and The Bronx, however at least one also occured in Queens.

The first incident occured on June 8 at around 7:25 p.m., when Williams allegedly approached a woman on a Manhattan-bound #3 train at the Bergen Street station, Park Slope.  In that incident, he brandished a knife and fled with an unknown amount of U.S. currency.

On June 23 at around 1:45 p.m., Williams allegedly approached a woman on a Brooklyn-bound #2 train at the Church Avenue station, Flatbush.  As was the case in the Park Slope mugging, Williams brandished a knife and demanded money from the woman.  He then fled with the victim’s property at the Beverly Road station.

Williams was tagged as the “Red Sox Bandit” by the tabloids after one photo during the search showed him wearing a Red Sox baseball cap.

Williams, who has 18 prior arrests and has also served eight years upstate for a prior robbery conviction, was taken into custody along with two other men – Jamal Williams, who was also identified as one of the NYPD’s most wanted, and Michael Lewis, who was wanted on parole violations.  No further information is known about the other two fugitives.

It’s also not known why Williams fled to North Carolina.  Anyone who has ever watched the A&E television series “Manhunters” – a show that profiles the U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force – may recall an episode where a fugitive from the New York area was subsequently apprehended in North Carolina.  For some reason, the Carolinas would seem to be a very popular destination for fugitives fleeing the area (maybe it’s the lower taxes down there, who knows?).

In any event, it’s probably safe to say that this member of Red Sox Nation will have a new home in a matter of weeks, pending extradition back to New York – a nice little spot we like to call Rikers Island.