Harvard Square Bank Robbed

The Bank of Boston branch in Harvard Square was robbed Monday afternoon as a white, teenage suspect claiming he had a gun made off with nearly $3000.

The hold-up was the city's fourth bank robbery in recent weeks, Cambridge Police said, with the latest heist occuring two days earlier at a North Cambridge BayBanks. Police believe the robberies to be unrelated, investigating officer Sgt. Feidelle Centrella said, as witnesses report different notes.

On Monday, a white male described to be 17 to 18 years-old entered the Bank of Boston at 1380-1382 Mass. Ave. at 2 p.m. Security cameras photographed the robber in mirrored sunglasses and a baseball cap, said Cambridge Lt. Timothy J. Lane.

The suspect handed a teller a note that demanded money and claimed he was armed, Lane said. No weapon was seen, he added.

The teller gave $2780 to the man, who escaped on foot, then reported the incident to her superiors, said Lloyd E. Wheeler, financial relations manager and spokesperson for the Bank of Boston.

FBI and Cambridge Police agents arrived on the scene shortly after the incident, at which time the bank was closed.

An FBI-organized task force of federal, state and city agents are searching for the suspect. The task force is circulating photographs of the suspect and using witness accounts and other sources to track down the robber, said Boston FBI spokesperson Jack Cloherty.