Arrest for attempted Water Mill bank robbery

A Manorville woman was arrested Thursday for the attempted robbery of a Water Mill bank on New Year's Eve, police said.

Stella Vassallo, 28, of 139 Silas Carter Rd., was charged with second degree attempted robbery and also with petit larceny for two other unrelated crimes, Southampton police said.

Vassallo handed a teller at the Suffolk County National Bank on Montauk Highway a note on Dec. 31, demanding money, police said, but then left without taking any funds.

"She passed the note," Det. Robert Stabile said. "But she then just got spooked, panicked, and fled."

Later that day Vassallo stole a number of scratch-off lottery tickets from an area gas station, Stabile said, and stole more scratch-off tickets from another gas station on Jan. 2.

She was to be arraigned Friday in Southampton Justice Court.