Watch CBS News

Police: Crook Used 'AIDS' Scare To Rob A Bank

LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) - Longmont police are looking for a woman who robbed a bank and used the threat of AIDS as her weapon.

Thursday a woman went to the Wells Fargo bank inside the Safeway on Ken Pratt Boulevard. Police say she gave the teller a note saying she has AIDS and she would infect the teller if she didn't hand over the money. She never showed a weapon.

The threat of getting infected with AIDS was enough to scare the teller into giving the woman money.

"I'm not sure how you could do it; there's variety of ways. You could have needle with your blood, you could spit on somebody; you know saliva is not a good transmission of that," a Longmont police officer said. "It was enough to inspire the fear and that helped her be successful in the robbery."

The suspect is between 55 and 75 years old with a bony build and a thin face. She was wearing a train engineer's hat and a Bass Pro Shop sweatshirt

Police said the suspect got away with an undisclosed amount of money.

Police believe because of the rare manner of the robbery, the suspect is probably local and a handful of homes are already under surveillance.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.