FEDS GET HANDS ON 'BANDIT' COP

The New York Post by JOHN DOYLE, LEONARDO BLAIR and LORENA MONGELLI

April 13, 2008 -- A rookie NYPD cop accused of robbing $113,000 from a bank is being handed over to the feds for prosecution, officials said. The US Attorney's Office in eastern Pennsylvania is going to take over the case of Christian Torres, 21, a transit officer from Queens arrested Thursday for allegedly holding up a Sovereign Bank in Muhlenberg, Pa, sources said. A federal detainer was placed on the officer's $1 million bail yesterday, keeping him at the Berks County, Pa., jail even if bail is posted.

Meanwhile, the FBI and NYPD continued to investigate Torres in connection with two bank robberies in the East Village last year, although officials with both agencies said no new charges were filed yesterday. The NYPD said Friday it was investigating whether Torres twice robbed a Sovereign Bank on Avenue A, once in June 2007 before he entered the Police Academy, and once in November, a month before he graduated. The same day as the second robbery, Torres paid $18,500 for a new car. Police said he also bought his fiancée, Jennifer Rivas, 20, of Brooklyn, an engagement ring. Rivas - a stunner pursuing a modeling career - was unavailable for comment yesterday. Her dad refused to comment as he left their home.

A neighbor - retired school custodian John Robidas - called Rivas "sweet" and "a good student." He remembered seeing Torres, and said, "I wouldn't think he would do this. He just became a transit cop. Why would he do it?" Another neighbor, who didn't want to be identified by name, said Torres "started coming around this place last winter," and said, "Damn, if I would have known that s- - -, I would have robbed his ass, cop or no cop." Torres, on suicide watch in jail, declined to speak to reporters yesterday, as did his family.

A woman who answered the phone at his mom's house broke down in tears on the phone, saying, "I don't even want to read the papers." Torres' lawyer, Paul Missan, said: "You have a young man who has never been arrested for anything in his life. He comes from a good family, a religious family . . . This is very sad and tragic for the family. It's hard. "He's doing as well as anybody could be doing under the circumstances," Missan added of his client. "He's looking forward to his day in court." Additional reporting by Angela Montefinise     john.doyle@nypost.com