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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Police arrest woman suspected of robbing elderly man at ATM

From staff reports

Spokane police say they’ve arrested a woman who robbed and assaulted an elderly man at a downtown ATM three weeks ago.

Maressa A. Morris, 22, is accused of shoving to the ground a 75-year-old man who had just withdrawn $400 outside the Bank of America at 601 W. Riverside Ave.

The man told police a woman approached him on the afternoon of June 15 asking for money for bus fare, according to court documents. She then attempted to grab the cash from his hand, and a struggle ensued.

The man said he must have fallen unconscious when his head hit a wall of the bank, because he didn’t remember seeing the woman run away with his money, according to court documents.

Responding security guards said the man appeared unconscious. Court documents say there was “a large indentation in the wall where (the victim’s) head had been.”

The incident was captured on surveillance video, and still images of the suspect were released to the public.

Multiple citizens, including friends and relatives of Morris, provided tips identifying her as the suspect, according to court documents.

Police arrested her Wednesday afternoon at a home in the 2000 block of West Mansfield Avenue.

Morris faces charges of first-degree robbery and second-degree assault. She’s being held in the Spokane County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

Her criminal history includes convictions for theft, drug possession and malicious mischief.