NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Mary Thompson, 56, of New Rochelle, a librarian who works at the New Rochelle Public Library was charged with Robbery – First Degree following an early morning attempted robbery in downtown New Rochelle.
Thompson had handed a teller a note, stating “give me $100,000 I have a gun”. The teller turned over approximately $7,000, at which time the suspect left the Bank.
At approximately 9:48 a.m., New Rochelle Police Department Officers responded to 270 North Avenue-Chase Bank, on a report of a Bank Robbery in progress.
The responding officers quickly apprehended the suspect outside of the bank without further incident.
Mary Thompson was arraigned in front of Judge Jared Rice in New Rochelle City Court this afternoon.
She has been charged with Robbery in the First Degree, a class B violent felony. The charge carries a 25 year maximum prison term upon conviction and a five year mandatory minimum, even for someone who has never so much as been arrested before. An order of protection was issued for several people inside the bank at the time of the robbery.
During a bail hearing, Thompson’s lawyer told the court she attended high school in Massachusetts. She received her bachelor’s degree at Manhattan College and has lived in New Rochelle for 12 years after having lived in Brooklyn for “20 to 30” years.
Her lawyer said she was let go from her job 2 or 3 days ago and had no children or other family.
Judge Rice deemed Thompson a flight risk based on not having a job or family in the area and given the serious nature of the crime declined to release Thompson on her own recognizance but instead reduced the bail proposed by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. Thompson was offered $5,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond or partially secured bond.
She is scheduled to appear in person on May 26 for a felony hearing.
New Rochelle Public Library Executive Director Thomas Geoffino issues a statement on the arrest.
“Mary Thompson is an employee of our library,” said Geoffino. “She is much beloved by her colleagues and library patrons.”
“We have no further comment at this time,” he added.
Told that Thompson’s lawyer said she had been let go from her job at the library two or three days ago, Geoffino said that not true, that she was still an employee of the Library.
well how would you know Sarah you must of sucked a lot of DICKS!!!
Tamischa You’re an absolute idiot… how do you claim that it’s right of Robert to write an article on “facts” yet sit here and right about how this woman sat down and planned out a “premeditated robbery” without knowing whether or not she did? The judge was obviously not wrong and who are YOU, with no legal experience or background to say that?? You really have the nerve to say that “it is your choice if you choose to be likeable by your family or not” you raggedy ass, pea brained MORON
In ADDITION, you go on to bring up the DSM-5?? Okay DR Phil, do you even know what that is?? Are you (in addition to being a legal advocate), now a TRAINED and LICENSED mental health professional?
You’re a fucking idiot, it’s clear somebody took your brain away, somebody should take your phone away TOO
The cops opened the doors and welcomed those people in? What is it with the Trump freeks? Does he live in your head? As for this case i know new rochelle is a violent multicultural disaster at this point but are we so used to violence that a bank robbery isn’t even news worthy anymore?
Trish I believe a lot of us feel your pain because you know her personally buy you also have to remember you stated your words “belive she is autistic” you your self do not even know of if she is or not. But you also have to remember just because you think you know a person we really don’t really know them. It’s like a lot parenting we all have someone in our families that we know that was raised the right way and then did something stupid out of peer pressure or because they just wanted to be defiant. No matter how much we talk, pray, discipline them they still do things out of your control. This lady may of had a history of something before moving into our community we may never know this information. Just know if you, your family, your friends or love ones was inside this bank or outside this bank and especially if it was your child your attitude for your friend would be totally different. Just remember we can always lead the horse to the water but we cannot make them drink it. Again I feel your pain for your friend. But hef being Autistic has nothing to do with her taking the time the actually sitting down and plotting what she wanted to do and then acting on it. She just did think about getting caught or having a plan to escape to get away. We know that jail will not rehilabate her but now she knows what ever she was thinking was the wrong thing and maybe her lawyer can help her get help for her crime
Everyone is so quick to bash Robert Cox when he reports on a story to educate and inform the the people of our community. Instead of just seeing his name and having your own bias of why you may not like him, just take the time and completely read the story first. Reading is fundamental and if you read all the way through trust me your responses would not be negative but Thank you for informing us on this. He reports and tell what others will not say or keep hush because others do not want us to know import facts.
How can someone report on a mental illness if one has not been provided with one. Here we have an educated person reporting on a story in the city of New Rochelle. It is not about race, creed or ethnicity. This reporter was given facts and he reported on that. He even informed us that the lawyer stated she was let go of work but was actually still employed. The individual in custody also stated she has no family. Now we all know that everybody has a family it is your choice if you choose to be likeable by your family or not. In order to be classified with a mental status you have to be seen by a doctor and have to have a diagnosis from the DSM-5 which is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Some people actually robs bank or commit a crime just to get caught. We do not know this ladies mental state, or know what she was going through on this particular day. For all we know someone could of made her do this. A crime is a crime. No crime merit another. I strongly believe that ethnicity plays a roll when it comes to sentencing a person on a crime depending on what the crime is and what state you live in. But in this case we cannot indulge an act of crime and give someone a second chance when clearly we do not know if she will flee before her court date. We also have to understand one important fact of this crime. She went into a bank with a note and stated she had a GUN!!! All these innocent employees and customers all matter. They all have family’s. Can you imagine if your love one was inside this bank at this time or even outside the bank if she actually pulled the gun out and used it. Judge Jared Rice was wrong to reduce her bail. He should of gave her what his the systems states in this situation was to be given. That was her second chance.
Thanks Gin first positive response of this story.
Robert cox, last name fitting because you are the absolute biggest DICK sucker heard of yet to date
the story don’t sound clear she took the $7,000 or left without the $7,000 — it says the teller turnover $7,000 but didn’t say Mary took the $7,000 and then left the bank… why would Mary be standing outside the bank if she took $7,000 waiting to get caught…. what kind of robbery is that… is this an episode on SNL they were filming on how to rob a bank and get caught… wow – let her go.. no real crime was committed – give her probation and a second chance to rehabilitate herself..
No “real crime” was committed??
That about sums the thinking here.
harmless? so i guess the losers that kicked it the us capitol in january were harmless also? get a grip woman ! if a person kicks in ur front door and claimes to have a gun and demands cash and you not knowing there mental health status do you give them a pass or will you call the authorities asap especially if there of dark skin? i now see how this society works , some ppl can do no harm if we like them ,family ,friends ,trump etc
Hmmm,🤔 why does it sound like we have a bunch of ppl here that are licensed by the dept of mental hygiene that are not and speaking out of term? Bank Robbery is particularly a crime of self gratification and greed nothing having to do with being mentally ill, if we had every attorney declaring there clients mentally ill that commited a bank robbery we would have thousands of bank robbers in PHYSCH wards just to beat there true charges and get let out in a couple years.. being deemed menatlly ill by the commissioner of mental hygiene means you are not responsible for your actions !! NUFF SAID🧔🏽
Autism and armed robbery are mutually exclusive elements here.
You might think that would be obvious to some folks commenting here, but yes that is my point as well.
Thank you for saying it.
To all the idiots commenting here that I should not report on a Bank Robbery, Robbery-First, a violent felony, because the defendant is nice or a neighbor or autistic or mentally ill or whatever other inane reasons you care to offer, I would point out that there are more than a few people in the world who are autistic or mentally ill but do not rob banks.
Bank robberies are always going to make the news. Welcome to reality-land, a place you folks appear to have never visited before. Now bugger off!
For you knowing withhold information about her mental illness is bad journalism. Mental illness is a serious disease and need to be addressed accordingly. The story is interesting but I feel tricked knowing more of the story.
Rufus, the famed media critic, has spoken!
What a bunch of idiots. 🤦♂️
Rob Cox is a fucking idiot go suck a dick 🗣💥💥
I rest my case.
Its called news and the public needs to be informed! Since when is robbing a bank NOT newsworthy?
Lol dude, you need a new job, better suited to your temperament perhaps. Engaging the public is obviously too toxic an option for you. Better off being an editor so you can shield your insecurities from the hoi polloi…
Engaging the public? You mean engaging uninformed jerks who want to take shots at me for accurately reporting on the perpetrator of a violent felony in the middle of downtown New Rochelle.
I get that you twerps expect you can say your piece without fear of a response. You came to the wrong place — and are obviously not regular readers.
Regular readers know that here, if you want to step into the ring and wave a red cape you WILL get the horns.
Now toddle off and take your whining elsewhere.
Holding up a bank is a Federal crime. She was let go from her job. She should have signed up for unemployment rather than robbing a bank!!
As reported, according to the Executive Director of NRPL, she did have a job at NRPL.
Bye Bobby , you deff need to get laid like ASAP! Lol
Typical idiots. Somehow, in your pea-sized brains, the story is not about a bank robbery but about how a handful of idiots FEEL about ME for reporting on a bank robbery involving a woman who they know.
The fact that someone is a neighbor does not mean they are THE VICTIM of a bank robbery when they are the ones walking out the front door with a bag of stolen cash.
I think it is called transference.
Skip the reality that a woman was charged with a violent felony and go with “shoot the messenger” for the person reporting on the commission of a violent felony 🙄
First, do not tell me how I should feel about anything. OK? Worry about yourself.
Second, the word “exploit” in this context suggests that by reporting on an arrest and arraignment for a very serious violent felony that I am seeking to take advantage of a “harmless”, “autistic” woman is an outrageous, unwarranted and offensive remark.
Third, if either of you knew what you were talking about you might appreciate that I intervened in this case before publishing this story so the court might reduce or even eliminate her bail requirement. I will not provide details.
Fourth, TOPs were issued for employees at the bank who were understandably traumatized by being threatened by a woman who walked into their workplace and threatened them with a gun. Where is your concern for them?
Fifth, the defendant in this case created a highly combustible situation, robbing a bank, claiming to be armed, so that as police respond they are operating on information that an armed suspect has just held up a bank which means they are arriving on scene, weapons drawn, anticipating the need for use of lethal force in one of the busiest street corners in the City at one of the busiest times of the day. A wrong move could well have turned into dozens of rounds fired with a high likelihood of loss of life and the very real potential for an uninvolved person or police officer to be injured or killed not to mention the defendant.
I think that is enough to make the point that you two have a profound ignorance of reality.
That said, unlike you two, I was in court today for her arraignment and I talked to another prisoner held with her for several hours today so I am quite aware of her mental health issues — which I did NOT detail in my article out of consideration for her. I also spoke to her boss at the library.
Maybe if you consider for a moment just how little you know about today’s events, or your presumption that I am unaware of the defendants challenges and somehow indifferent to them you might perhaps begin to get a small glimpse into how stupid you two sound from my informed perspective.
It becomes tiresome for me to deal with people like you two who imagine that because THEY have an idea that it is therefore “a good idea”. It is a form of delusional grandiosity.
Are you picking up on the idea that I have nothing but contempt for people like you or your pal? If you want to engage in passive-aggressive finger pointing do not act somehow aggrieved when challenged by someone (me) who actually knows what they are talking about.
Now bugger off.
Relax, Bob. She said “please don’t”, she didn’t say “you did.” Trish is very clearly concerned for her neighbor, who may have issues that are not clear right now. You’ve chosen a very public profession you can’t take this so seriously and to heart when someone criticizes you or your work, or asks you to treat a person, who she knows personally, with care in your reporting. It is not unheard of for newspapers To “run with “a story like this especially in the hope that it might go viral because it’s interesting. If their mental health issues involved that makes this situation a whole different story story, And that is all that Trish is asking for.
I am so hurt reading this. She is my next door neighbor. She is harmless. I believe autistic. Please don’t exploit this. She is a very harmless, nice woman that is possibly very sick right now. PLEASE!
Exploit?
I published what the NRPD released then reported what took place at the arraignment.
Every media outlet in the area reported on the bank robbery. I am the only person who reported she is a librarian and more importantly that she still has a job which may help get her bail reduced.
It is a sad situation but the idea that reporting on a Bank Robbery in downtown New Rochelle is exploitive is both absurd and offensive. It is called “news”.