Man cleared in bank robbery

A Centreville man who was arrested for a January bank robbery in Manassas was released from jail earlier this year after police determined that he was not connected with the crime.

Manassas City police arrested and jailed Majeed A. Spanta, 39, on Jan. 22 after he was determined to be a suspect in the Jan. 20 robbery of a BB&T Bank in the 8700 block of Centreville Road in Manassas. Spanta fits the description of the suspect, police said. They later obtained arrest warrants for him -- meaning they had probable cause to suspect him in the crime -- but said it appears he was misidentified.

When police learned they had the wrong man, they cleared him of the charges and let him go. Jail records indicate he was released Feb. 24, just more than a month after his arrest. Spanta contacted the Post this week to say that he had been cleared of the charges.

"He was not the subject that committed the bank robbery," said Sgt. Tim Neumann, a police spokesman.

Police say a man fitting Spanta's description entered the bank at 4:30 p.m., approached a teller and demanded money. The teller complied and the suspect exited via the bank's rear doors before taking off in an unknown direction.

Manassas has seen a spate of bank robberies that they believe could be connected and are continuing to investigate.

-- Josh White