S. Philly man arrested in bank robbery, bomb hoax

Paul Raffa, 32, of the Pennsport section of South Philadelphia, was arrested Friday in connection with a bank robbery and bomb threat in Center City on Thursday afternoon.

Raffa, of Snyder Street near 3rd, allegedly walked into a PNC Bank branch on Market Street near 11th around 3 p.m. on April 19 and slid a threatening demand note to a teller, police said.

He demanded money and said that he was carrying a bomb in his bag. Police said Raffa left his bag inside the bank and fled with $3,000 in cash.

Market Street between 11th and 12th was closed until about 4 p.m. while authorities investigated the bag Raffa left behind.

They eventually found that his bag contained a water bottle and reopened Market Street to pedestrians and vehicles.