Suspect in York, Newburyport robberies arrested in Massachusetts

A man wanted for two Seacoast bank robberies who led police on a chase before making an escape was arrested at a Massachusetts hotel early Wednesday.

Massachusetts State Police said Brandon Simmons was arrested in the lobby of the Homewood Suites hotel on Route 1 in Peabody. Simmons is a suspect in the robbery of a drug store in Newburyport on Saturday and the Bangor Savings Bank in York on Monday morning.

In the afternoon a Salisbury police officer approached a van that looked like the one used in the York robbery. The driver, identified as Simmons, 34, of Seabrook, hit the officer in the face and tried to leave, according to police.

The officer unsuccessfully tried to keep the van in park and Simmons sped off and headed north on North End Boulevard. Salisbury police said their officers along with Seabrook and Massachusetts State Police pursued the van back into Salisbury but broke off the chase on Elm Street because it was unsafe.

A Massachusetts State Police trooper noticed Simmons driving an alleged stolen car early Wednesday morning and tried to stop him. Simmons refused to comply and again eluded police, according to State Police, who started a search for him.

Troopers saw the car parked in the hotel parking lot and found him in the lobby. After a struggle Simmons was taken into custody and is being held at the Danvers barracks.

State Police said Simmons will be arraigned in Newburyport on Wednesday on the drug store robbery charges. He will face additional charges in Peabody District Court and on the York robbery on later dates.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH