Bank Teller Tired Of Working 2 Jobs Allegedly Burglarized Elderly Customer's Home After He Made Big Cash Withdrawal

A young Maryland bank teller is accused of targeting an elderly customer who'd withdrawn a large sum of money, breaking into his home and injuring him and his stepdaughter. 

Nathan Michael Newell, 19, of Bel Air, was arrested Wednesday at Freedom Federal Credit Union, where he worked, in connection with a Monday burglary and assault at a bank customer’s home, the Hartford County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Newell is accused of ringing the doorbell of the customer's home before forcing his way into it when an elderly man opened the door, according to the sheriff’s office.

“The suspect immediately began assaulting the resident, a 78-year-old male, until a second resident, a 57-year-old female, intervened,” according to investigators. “At that time, the suspect ran upstairs, and the second resident ran to a nearby home to call police.”

The suspect then fled before deputies arrived on scene.

Both residents, who have been identified as a man and his stepdaughter by the Baltimore Sun, suffered injuries during the incident. The woman was treated at the scene, while the man was transported to a hospital to be treated for  non-life-threatening injuries. He suffered broken leg, a bruised orbital area, and heart issues during the attack, according to the Baltimore Sun. 

Investigators “determined one of the victims had removed a large amount of money from the bank” before the attack and they were able to identify the teller at the bank as the suspect behind the robbery and assault. 

While investigators did not indicate which resident made the cash withdrawal, the Sun and the credit union indicated it was the elderly man. It’s not clear if any items or money were stolen during the incident.

Newell has been charged with home invasion, robbery, first- and third-degree burglary, and first- and second-degree assault. He is being held without bail. It’s not clear if he has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf at this time. 

He allegedly admitted to the violent burglary attempt, telling investigators that he was sick of working two jobs and wanted enough money to get his own place, according to the Sun. He is no longer employed by Freedom Federal Credit Union.

“We are shocked and appalled to hear of the events that led to the assault and injury of a longtime member of our credit union. Our thoughts go out to him, and his family, during this difficult time,” Michael MacPherson, president and CEO of Freedom Federal Credit Union, said in a statement obtained by the Sun.