Thursday, February 12, 2009
Son of former Hialeah Police Chief, also a former officer, arrested for bank robbery
HIALEAH, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police have arrested a former Hialeah police officer, who also happens to be the son of a former Hialeah Police chief, for bank robbery.
Just before noon Wednesday, Rolando Bolanos Jr., 36, arrived at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade, after he had turned himself in to Miramar Police. He is the son of former Hialeah Police Chief Rolando Bolanos Sr., who was Hialeah's police chief for more than 20 years.
Early Wednesday morning, Hialeah Police named Bolanos Jr. as a suspect in the Monday morning robbery of a Bank Atlantic in Hialeah, and began contacting Bolanos' family members in order to give him an opportunity to turn himself in. He arranged to turn himself in to Miramar Police who then handed him over to the Hialeah Police Department.
Police said Bolanos was identified in surveillance video from the bank, which sits on 77th Street and West 33rd Avenue. The video recorded him in the act at about 11 a.m. this past Monday.
Investigators said he made off with about $1,000 in cash. According to witnesses, he then jumped into a dark-colored Mercedes Benz and sped away. "He walked into the Bank Atlantic branch, handed the teller a note demanding money. The teller handed over some money at which point he then exited the bank, climbed into his personal vehicle and fled the scene," explained Hialeah Police Detective Carl Zogby.
Police used the video and witness information on the tag of the Mercedes to lead them to Bolanos Jr. "Amongst some of the evidence that we gathered almost immediately was a description of the vehicle, license tag number, surveillance images, possible eye witness accounts," Zogby said.
On top of these latest accusations, this isn't his first time Bolanos Jr. has stepped onto the other side of the law. In 1999, while on the Hialeah Police force, he and brother Daniel Bolanos, also a Hialeah police officer, were accused of beating up a suspect. Raul Martinez, then the mayor of Hialeah, asked that the two to be punished in a public statement. "The captain in charge of the uniformed division was issued an order that the two officers surrender their badges, uniforms and official identifications," Martinez said in 1999.
Both brothers were later acquitted of the excessive force charges, but in 2000, Bolanos Jr. was charged with lying on his application to become a police officer. In 2004, he surrendered his badge to avoid prosecution.
Now, the well known name has resurfaced yet again, accused of again betraying the badge he once held. "Anytime something like this happens it's a terrible dark cloud over the police department," Zogby said. "He deserves his day in court, but it is a sad day here."
Police have charged Bolanos Jr. with one count of strong-armed robbery. By noon, a bail bondsman appeared at the Turner Guilford Facility. He was released on bond.
Police said Bolanos Jr.'s motivation for the crime was "financial hardship." A public records search of his home in Miramar-- which he shares with his wife and his 5 and 10-year-old children-- revealed that it was going through foreclosure proceedings.
Meanwhile, Balonos Jr.'s attorney said it was not his client who was caught on the bank's surveillance video, and he is innocent of all charges.
(Copyright 2009 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
