They might be thought of as Granny and Clyde, except cops say Clyde was clueless.
A 70-year-old woman with a unwitting 26-year-old driver robbed an Elysian, Minn., bank Wednesday afternoon, police say.
She was quickly arrested, along with the stunned young man, who authorities say apparently thought he was just doing a good turn for his mother's tenant. Investigators said he had waited in the car and had no idea what happened.
Sandra Leaann Bathke was charged Thursday with first- and second-degree aggravated robbery, simple robbery and theft -- all felonies. She was in the Le Sueur County jail, scheduled to make a Friday morning court appearance.
According to the charges:
Elysian State Bank employees called police at 12:52 p.m. to report that an "elderly female" with gray hair, glasses and a blue jacket had just held up the bank. They said she demanded money and said she had a gun, although they did not see one. The teller gave her $3,700, and she walked out and climbed into a black Jaguar with a male at the wheel.
The bank's vice president followed the car at normal speeds about 8 miles to Janesville, Minn., and he phoned the Jaguar's description and license plate information to Le Sueur County dispatchers.
When the car reached Janesville, authorities stopped the car and ordered Bathke and the driver, Luke Even Weimert, 26, of Janesville, to the ground.
Bathke repeatedly uttered, "Luke had nothing to with it."
The charges go on to say that in an interview in a squad car, Bathke told police that Weimert gave her a ride to the bank, believing that she was going to withdraw money from her account to pay back-rent.
She said she set her blue bag on the counter and told the teller to "be quiet and not to alarm anyone." She informed the teller she had a gun and reached into the bag as if to pull it out.
Police say Bathke did not have a gun but had a small hammer in the bag. After the teller handed her all the money in the drawer, she said thank you and left.
Got free bank calendar
Weimert told police that Bathke rents a second-floor apartment from his mother and that his mother was in the process of evicting her for failure to pay rent, according to the charges.
He said Bathke told them she had money in the Elysian bank but needed a ride. On the way, he said, they "had small talk about the weather and the roads."
Weimert told police that on the way back to Janesville, he drove slowly because of the slippery roads and didn't notice they were being followed. After they pulled into Bathke's driveway, an officer appeared and ordered them to the ground. Weimert said that when that happened, Bathke said, "I'm so sorry, Luke."
Weimert was arrested on an unrelated DWI warrant and later released. Neither he nor his mother could be reached for comment.
A search of the Jaguar turned up the cash, the hammer, a pair of white rubber gloves and a 2011 Elysian Bank calendar.
Bathke's criminal record in Minnesota appears to be limited to a conviction for writing bad checks. At least a dozen cases have been filed against her in conciliation court. Le Sueur County Sheriff Tom Doherty said she had some ailments and was "down on her luck, trying to stay in her apartment."
Her choice of getaway ride did nothing to improve her luck.
Said Doherty: "Robbing a bank with a Jaguar -- that kind of sticks out."
No comments:
Post a Comment