The masked figure known as Spider-Man swung into Midtown late last night, subduing three armed suspects outside Midtown Trust before police arrived on the scene. Witnesses say the wall-crawler webbed the men to a lamppost above the bank's entrance and vanished over the rooftops before a single officer could take his statement.
According to the NYPD's 19th Precinct, the three suspects — all wearing ski masks and one carrying a sawed-off shotgun — entered the bank's lobby at approximately 11:40 p.m., minutes after closing, and ordered the night manager to open the vault. Detective Frank Lipari, who responded to the scene, said officers arrived to find the men already bound in webbing several feet above the sidewalk, "hollering for somebody, anybody, to cut them down before their arms went numb." No shots were fired.
Midtown Trust confirmed no funds were missing and no hostages were harmed, though a teller who asked not to be named said the sight of a man clinging to the ceiling "nearly gave the whole branch a heart attack." Branch manager Diane Kessler said she "didn't see him arrive and didn't see him leave," and credited the bank's silent alarm with bringing police as quickly as it did — though by the time the first squad car turned onto the block, the confrontation was already over.
Publisher J. Jonah Jameson maintains the costumed vigilante remains a greater menace to this city than the criminals he pursues, and has again called on the police commissioner to authorize his capture. "A man who appoints himself judge, jury, and arresting officer is not a public service," Jameson said in a statement to this paper. "Tonight it was three armed men. Tomorrow it could be anyone this individual decides doesn't deserve a trial." The remarks come as a city council committee weighs a proposed Vigilante Registration Act; see our Metro report for the latest from City Hall.
The three suspects, whose names are being withheld pending arraignment, were treated for minor circulation loss at Bellevue before being booked on charges of attempted armed robbery. The NYPD says its investigation into the incident, and into the identity of the man who ended it, remains open.
Photos: Peter Parker