Most crime suspects don't rack up fares when they flee, but a suspect in a Copiague bank robbery was forced to hail a taxi to try to escape his own heist yesterday.

Joseph L. Russo, 46, of 315 Greenlawn Terr. in Copiague, faces one count of third-degree robbery and is scheduled to be arraigned today in First District Court in Central Islip after spending the night in custody at the Seventh Precinct, police said.

They said he entered the Washington Mutual Bank branch at 895 Merrick Rd. in Copiague at about 10 a.m. and approached a teller with a note announcing a robbery and demanding money.

The teller gave him an undisclosed amount of cash but also slipped in a dye pack.

That device exploded as the suspect tried to escape on Stewart Street, pelting him with red dye. He abandoned the bag of money and hailed a cab to get away from the scene, police said.

Police searched the area and found a witness who said a man fitting the description of the robber had just entered a taxi and taken off.

Officers called the cab company and asked for the passenger's destination: his home address.

Officers Douglas Cortes and Michael Maio greeted Russo as he stepped out of the cab. They noticed the red dye on him and that he matched the description of the robber, so they arrested him, police said.

 http://www.newsday.com/news/local/crime/ny-libank255740762jun25,0,7343523.story