Police, FBI Arrest Alleged Bank Robber in Davis Square

Somerville police and FBI agents arrested Somerville resident Daniel Merrill, 26, Monday morning in Davis Square after he allegedly robbed the Eastern Bank on Elm Street, according to a media release from Somerville Police.

Merrill is also being charged with robbing three other Davis Square banks in the past two-and-a-half weeks: The on Nov. 19, on Nov. 25 and on Nov. 29.

Merrill lives on Morrison Avenue, outside Davis Square, according to Deputy Chief Paul Upton of the Somerville police.

"This is a good score for us," said Upton, who pointed out that the series of robberies were "terrorizing the bank employees."

"He would pass a note, and the demand note said he had a bomb," Upton said of Merrill's alleged method of conducting the robberies.

In Monday morning's arrest, according to the media release from Somerville Police, a Somerville detective observed Merrill as he entered the Eastern Bank a little before 9:30 a.m.

He exited the bank minutes later and began running toward Day Street, removing his outer shirt as he ran, and the detective followed him, according to the account.

Somerville detectives and agents from the FBI Violent Crimes Task Forced detained him as he turned onto Day Street, just as police were receiving a broadcast for a holdup alarm at the Eastern Bank, the account says.

According the media release, all banks in Davis Square have been under surveillance since last week by Somerville detectives and members of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, which is composed of investigators from the Massachusetts State Police, the FBI and Somerville, Malden and Boston police.

The account of Monday morning's arrest says Merrill was not armed when he was arrested. However, in three of the four robberies—Monday's Eastern Bank robbery, the Nov. 25 Citizens Bank robbery and the Nov. 29 Winter Hill Savings Bank robbery—Merrill is being charged with armed robbery by making a false report of having explosives. He's being charged with unarmed robbery in the Nov. 19 Soverign Bank incident.

Police recoverd the demand note and stolen cash from Monday's robbery, said Upton.