A female bank robber, nicknamed the "Bad Hair Bandit" for wearing messy wigs during her 19-bank heists across four states, has allegedly been arrested in Auburn, as reported by the New York Times, the Sacramento Bee, and other news media.
Before C.V.H., 47, led investigators crisscrossing over four states, with her cat in tow, she had been employed as a nurse in an Idaho prison.
After C.V.H. allegedly robbed a Bank of the West in Auburn on August 15, a witness saw her run from the bank to a car. The witness noted the car's license plate number and alerted police.
Placer County sheriff's deputies later arrested both C.V.H., and her husband, C.A., 26, who had been waiting for her in the alleged getaway car.
The car, a Chrysler Sebring, was also the home of the couple's cat. Dena Erwin, the Sheriff's Department spokeswoman said that along with a cat there was also "a
litter box, toys and all the things a cat would need."
The cat was removed and placed under the care of a local animal shelter.
Brad Bryant, the chief of the violent crimes and major offenders unit of the FBI, said of the rarity of female bank robbers, "We see a lot fewer instances in which the female bank robber will display a weapon. Women are more likely to do what we call a note job or to just make an oral demand to the teller."
The first time C.V.H. allegedly started robbing banks, on December 22, she was seen wearing her blond hair stuffed into a black baseball cap in the bank's surveillance tape. She stood in the bank line, and when it was her turn to walk up to a teller, she handed over a note that said she was armed and wanted money.
In her alleged seven-month 17-bank spree, C.V.H. donned several different-colored and scraggly-looking wigs: black, blond, red and brown.
In Washington State alone she is accused of robbing banks in Tumwater, Spanaway, Bellevue and Moses Lake. It is alleged that in July she robbed a Key Bank in Oregon and in August she had also robbed the Bank of Butte in Montana.
Her last robbery was the Auburn job.
C.V.H. didn't rob any banks in Idaho - where she both worked and resided. C.V.H. is a licensed nurse for Correctional Healthcare Cos. - a contractor for the Idaho Department of Correction.
Larry Wolk, a spokesman for Correctional Healthcare verified her employment from April 27 to August 10.
During her employment she dispensed medication, and provided minor medical treatment, at the Kootenai County jail in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Lt. Stu Miller, of the jail,said, "It's unsettling that somebody would be robbing banks and also working for a facility that's housing inmates."
C.V.H. was working at the jail when she allegedly met C.A. The couple married in March in Coeur d'Alene.
C.A., wanted for a parole violation at the time of his arrest, has served time for fraud involving credit card forgery and escaping from a work-release program back in January of 2008.
He was released and began his parole in October of 2010.
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