On January 25, 2022 at 2:59 PM an employee at Eastern Ct Savings Bank, 1 Slater Ave, Jewett City, called 9-1-1 for the report of a bank robbery. Troopers and the Eastern District Major Crime Squad responded to the scene and secured the location for investigation. One Trooper, with a tracking K-9 (Bloodhound) which led the Trooper out of the bank and into the Walgreens Parking lot across the street, into an area of bushes and grass that separate Slater Ave from the parking lot (next to the driveway into the parking lot on Slater Ave.) The track ended there with no suspect located.
The teller provided a statement to Troopers telling them that the suspect entered the bank through the front entrance and told the teller that he needed to make a withdrawal, where she handed the suspect a withdrawal slip. The suspect passed 2 notes to the teller, one saying “I need help” and the 2nd note which said “Don’t press no alarm, This is not a robbery, it’s just a loan for $5,000 please thank you.” The employee stated that she didn’t have that much, in which the suspect replied “just give me as much as you have.” The employee collected all of the money she had in her assigned area, totalling $2,087 and handed it to him. The suspect then left through the side door.
Detectives from the EDMC started canvassing the area for information and places that may have video surveillance. Two were used in the investigation, one at Chucky’s Convenience Store Mobil station and Walgreens. Detectives noticed an early 90’s black and white Camaro that parked in the Walgreens parking side lot, not far from the drive through window, however the camera was not in any camera angle that showed anyone entering or exiting the car.
The next day, a detective from Troop C in Tolland, Detective Gorra, reviewed the still photos from the scene that were caught on bank cameras. The detective had been assigned to Troop E Montville previously and recognized the Camaro and believed it was connected to a certain resident on Lillibridge Ave in Voluntown.
Later on that day, a detective went to the address and saw a man at the mailbox that fit the description of the suspect. He turned around and the male was no longer in sight but did notice the black and white Camaro in the driveway that was seen in surveillance.
The detective went to the door and made contact with the suspect, 55 year old Ronald Speed, and alerted him that he was a suspect in a bank robbery, which Speed denied have any involvement saying that the other person that lived at the address drove Speed to United Community and Family Services (UCFS) at 3:00 PM that day, which the other resident, who was not identified, denied and said that they didn’t drive him anywhere. Video footage did show that he was at UCFS in Griswold, but not at the time he mentioned he was there. Their footage shows the Camaro arriving at approximately 2:22 PM.
Speed didn’t outright admit to the robbery, but when asked if he felt remorse for the robbery, Speed replied “There’s all sorts of remorse going on alright.” He also said that he would eventually turn himself in. He was then asked again if he committed the robbery, Speed responded “I’m gonna plead the fifth on that one, but you already know and I know.”
Ronald Speed was arrested and charged with 3rd degree larceny and 3rd degree robbery and held on a combined bond of $100,000.
This is not the first time Ronald Speed has had a brush with the law. He been arrested on various charges in the past such as strangulation, criminal mischief, and DUI.