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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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‘Bad Hair Bandit’ blamed for Spokane bank heist

This image shows a woman suspected in a robbery at a Chase Bank branch on West Francis Avenue in Spokane at around noon Monday, May 9, 2011. Detectives would like to speak with anyone who may have seen her walking on West Francis Avenue between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday. Witnesses can reach investigators by calling Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.
This image shows a woman suspected in a robbery at a Chase Bank branch on West Francis Avenue in Spokane at around noon Monday, May 9, 2011. Detectives would like to speak with anyone who may have seen her walking on West Francis Avenue between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday. Witnesses can reach investigators by calling Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.
By Thomas Clouse tomc@spokesman.com(509) 459-5495
A suspected bank robber dubbed the “Bad Hair Bandit” is being sought for a heist today at a North Spokane bank and may be involved in as many as 14 other similar recent crimes, authorities said. Deputies responded at 12:17 p.m. to the bank at 822 W. Francis after employees said a woman entered the building and demanded money while implying that she had a weapon, sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan said in a news release. Witnesses described the woman as a 5-foot-6, 220-pound white female. Tellers said she had dark brown hair with bangs, which was possibly a wig. She wore a blue hooded sweatshirt. “The suspect has robbed 14 financial institutions in Washington, according to the FBI,” Reagan wrote. “She has hit banks in the Puget Sound area, as well as in Moses Lake and Ellensburg.” Because of her “hyper-ugly wigs,” as Reagan called them, the suspect has been dubbed by law enforcement as the Bad Hair Bandit. She may be staying in lower-cost motels, said Reagan, who also announced a special reward by Crime Stoppers for information that leads to her arrest. “It appears she may be working her way eastbound, and Crime Stoppers wants to end her serial robbery ways before she leaves the Spokane area,” he wrote. Anyone with information about the Bad Hair Bandit is asked to immediately call 911 or call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (800) 222-TIPS(8477).