An East Boston man says he was robbed of almost $250,000 Friday morning by a pair of thieves who were impersonating police officers outside his business.
Arthur Rizzo, the owner of “The Check Place,” tells NBC10 Boston that he was bringing loads of cash to his check and money order business on Meridian Street when two men approached him, stealing his $240,000 and driving away in his black Audi.
Boston police confirm they responded to a 911 call for a report of a robbery in the 200 block of Meridian Street shortly after 9:30 a.m. A “be on the lookout” alert was put out for a vehicle wanted in connection with the robbery. It was later found abandoned on Border Street and towed.
NBC10 Boston was first on scene when investigators found the stolen car a block away. Detectives were also spotted placing evidence markers near the scene of the crime. About a mile down the road, there was more evidence — a duffel bag believed to be connected to the crime.
Surveillance video captured what happened, and police have released photos of the two men suspected in the robbery.
The suspects are described as males wearing dark clothing and ball caps.
Boston Police Department
Rizzo’s wife wants to see the men arrested, and while she knows they stole a lot of money, she’s just thankful that her husband is OK despite being robbed in broad daylight.
“The money will be gone, but I hope they catch the guys,” Michelle Rizzo said. “It’s a lot of money, but I have my husband. They didn’t shoot him or kill him. That’s all I care about.”
People in the area were reacting to what happened Friday, with some now scared.
“I’ve seen a good multitude of things on a Friday morning, but this is definitely one of those odd ones,” said Manuel Ramirez who works in East Boston.
“They had to have known that person was coming out of there with that significant amount of money,” said Jeremy Fischer-Block, who walks by the area everyday.
“It can happen to any of us,” said Gina Baltazar, who runs “Ria Money Transfer” next-door to “The Check Place.”
She also handles people’s money and worries for her employees and clients, saying, “I’m scared.”
A liquor store owner named Teresa says she’s twice been robbed. It’s the reason why she’s had to install cameras and hire more people to protect herself.
“We have more security with the videos because they know we have them,” the owner of Castillo Liquors said.
“The Check Place” is now closed for the weekend.
The investigation remains active, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call District A-7 Detectives at (617) 343-4220, CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).