Accused bank robber arrested after tough day

A suspect in a January bank robbery, who police say crashed his getaway car and fled by bus and taxi before finally making it home and finding his roommate dead, appeared in court on Tuesday to face a federal charge.

David Maksimik, 59, of Stamford, was hauled before a federal magistrate in Bridgeport to face a robbery charge. He's already accused of robbery and several other crimes in state court for the same incident.

The series of events began the morning of Jan. 29, when police say Maksimik made off with about $3,700 from a branch of People's United Bank in Darien after showing a teller a gun and a fake grenade strapped to his waist. Maksimik sped away in his 1992 Toyota but struck another vehicle and ditched his car in Norwalk, Darien police said. He made it back to his apartment in Stamford by bus, taxi and a ride from his sister, police said.



But once home, he found his roommate dead of an apparent suicide and called 911. Stamford police, who had been given a description of the bank robber, responded to Maksimik's house, saw that he matched the description and found the money.

"Everything just came together," Darien police Capt. Fred Komm said Wednesday. "It's rare that you solve a bank robbery in such a timely manner. We got lucky, and he was having a bad day."

Tom Carson, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, declined to say why federal prosecutors are bringing their own case against Maksimik. It was not immediately clear whether state officials will drop their case because of the federal prosecution. Maksimik is being held without bail. The federal robbery charge carries up to 20 years in prison.