BEDFORD, N.H. (AP) – A Rhode Island man arrested last week is suspected in the robberies of 18 banks in three states over the past 14 months, leading authorities to believe he is the so-called “teardrop bandit,” officials said.

The suspect has been described as having a teardrop-shaped tattoo or mole under his left eye. Police and the FBI formed Operation Teardrop to try and catch him.

Two task force officers doing surveillance on a bank in Needham, Mass., saw someone matching the robber’s description circle the bank in his car several times Thursday evening.

After the driver refused to pull over, they chased the car onto Route 128 and arrested , Robert Joseph Chadronet Jr., 28, of Providence, R.I., on an exit ramp.

Chadronet is charged with robbing a TD Banknorth branch in Needham on Dec. 8, 2005, failing to stop for police and operating after suspension.

Chadronet did not have a teardrop shape on his face when he was arrested, and police are trying to determine whether he is the teardrop robber, said Jay Fallon, supervisory agent for the FBI in New Hampshire.

Officials said the teardrop might have been a temporary tattoo or marking Chadronet used as a disguise.

The teardrop bandit is suspected of robbing three banks in New Hampshire: Southern New hampshire Bank & Trust and TC Banknorth in Bedford, and a Citizens Bank branch in Manchester.

All the robberies occured in the afternoon, and nearly all were at banks within one mile of a major highway, the FBI has said. The robber walked into each bank and passed a demand note to the teller. In each case, he acted as if he had a weapon, although none was ever shown.

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Information from: New Hampshire Union Leader, http://www.unionleader.com

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Information from: New Hampshire Union Leader, http://www.unionleader.com

AP-ES-01-22-06 1051EST