The bank robber that the FBI nicknamed the “Church Lady Bandit” appears to have struck again in Columbus, returning for a fourth holdup after a string of three in the city in 2008.
The most recent was at 1:35 p.m. Friday at the WesBanco Bank at 2700 E. Dublin-Granville Road.
She walked up to a teller with a note that said she had a gun and would shoot the teller unless she was given money. The teller did not see a weapon, but did give the “Church Lady” money from her drawer.
The robber, a black woman in her 30’s or 40’s, was wearing a tan plaid baseball cap, glasses, a blue t-shirt, dark pants, and white shoes.
Described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and stocky, she carried a satchel over her shoulder.
Her outfit was a switch from her appearance in 2008 when a witness said that well-dressed lady looked like she had come from church.
The FBI noted that it was unusual to begin with that the robber is a woman: only 7 percent of bank robberies are committed by women.
In addition, law enforcement thinks it's odd she robbed three banks in October of 2008 and then disappeared from view for two years. They wonder if she is from out of state or perhaps had been incarcerated during the past two years.
Her robbery Friday is the 31st bank robbery in 2010 in Columbus. There had been 31 last year at this time, too.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Columbus Police Robbery Squad at 614-645-4665 or the FBI at 614-865-2543.
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