U.S. News

Armed Woman Tries to Rob Four Manhattan Banks in 40 Minutes

SPEEDY

Police are looking for a mystery bandit who struck across New York.

170926-nyc-bank-robbery-hero_nozjyq
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast

A woman tried to rob four Manhattan banks in 40 minutes, according to the NYPD, and made off with some cash a little before noon on Tuesday.

The woman hit the first bank, a Bank of America at 127 8th Ave., at 11:17 a.m. and passed a note demanding cash but didn’t get any, a police spokesman said.

Three minutes later, at 11:20 a.m., she hit a Capital One at 144 8th Ave., where she was seen with a note but didn't pass it to a teller. Seven minutes later, at 11:27 a.m., she passed a note to a teller at an Apple Bank at 250 West 23 St., but didn't get any cash.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mohamed Ali, the assistant manager at Apple Bank, said the teller called him to the booth, but the woman calmly left the bank without any cash when she saw him walking over. He said it seemed like she knew what she was doing since unexperienced robbers tend to make a scene if they don't get what they want. Ali said the woman wore a red wig under a black hat.

She finally made off with an as-yet undetermined amount of cash at 11:57 a.m. after hitting a Chase Bank at 71 West 23rd St. Police said she left the note at that bank.

The woman is still at large. Police describe her as 5-foot-6 and 125 pounds and said she was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt with the word "London" on it and a black "NY" cap. She claimed to have a gun but didn't show it, police said.

— Additional reporting by Emilie Plesset