Woman led from bank in handcuffs
Bank of America teller given a note demanding money, given cash right back by suspect
A woman in handcuffs was escorted from a Bank of America branch on Golden Valley Road Friday morning after more than a dozen sworn officers of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station surrounded the bank.
The woman, who with grey hair looked between 50 and 60 years old, allegedly handed the bank teller a handwritten note demanding money but - for whatever reason still unknown to detectives - gave the money back to the teller.
By that point, however, deputies were on their way to a “robbery now” call at the bank.
Shortly after 11 a.m., deputies and detectives descended on the Bank of America branch near Golden Triangle Road, according to a Signal staff member, Austin Dave, eyewitness to the response by law enforcement.
Shortly after 11:05 a.m., when they received word it was safe to enter the bank about half a dozen deputies entered the bank.
Those deputies were seen inside the bank with customers and bank staff, Dave said.
Customers arriving at the bank during the apparent lockdown were turned away by deputies positioned outside the bank.
Shortly after 11:40 a.m., a woman who appeared to be in her 50s was led from the bank in handcuffs by deputies, Dave said.
SCV Sheriff’s officials were expected to provide details about the incident later today.
“We have a number of stories right now. We’re still sorting it out, still investigating,” Lt. Doug Mohroff told The Signal.
By late afternoon, detectives were still trying to figure out precisely what happened inside the bank.
According to a preliminary account of what happened, a man with a five-year-old child outside the bank, gave the woman a
handwritten note demanding money from the bank.
“The man told the woman he would harm the child if she didn’t go into the bank and get the money,” Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the SCV Sheriff’s Station said early in the day.
By 4:30 p.m., however, it was still unclear as to why the woman who allegedly handed the teller a note demanding money changed her mind and gave the money back to the teller.” Miller said.
“She went there with a note demanding money and decided to give the money back,” she said.
“We don’t know if there was a man. We don’t know if there was a child. We’re checking it all out,” she said.
Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Major Crimes Bureau was called in to take over the investigation, Miller said.