Dragnet for Girls, 12 and 14, Who Pulled Ohio Bank Heist
Two girls, not old enough to drive, suspected of bank heist without weapons.
Jan. 7, 2009— -- Police in Ohio are searching for two brazen girls, believed to be as young as 12 and 14, who robbed a bank in a Cincinnati suburb and escaped a police dragnet that included a helicopter and dogs.
The baby faced bank robbers, one believed to be 12 years old and the other 14 or 15, entered the 1st National Bank in Symmes Township, "walked up to the bank teller, and gave the teller a note demanding money," Steve Barnett, spokesman for the Hamilton County Sherriff's Office, said in a statement.
Neither of the girls carried a weapon, but "the teller gave the suspects an undetermined amount of U.S. currency," according to Barnett.
The bank was robbed at 3:19 p.m. There was one teller, but no customers in the bank at time. No one was injured.
The girls were last seen fleeing in a easterly direction from the bank.
The older girl is described as 5 foot 4 to 5 foot 5 with a "heavy build" and was seen wearing blue jeans, a black knit cap and a dark blue hooded sweatshirt. The 12-year-old suspect is described as 5 foot to 5 foot 2, with a "thin build" wearing blue jeans, baseball cap and dark blue hooded sweatshirt.
According to authorities, officers from two counties were called in to look for the girls. The FBI's Cincinnati field office said it was not involved in the investigation.
In a still image taken from what police described as an "old, out of date [black and white] VHS, poor quality" surveillance footage, one girl appears to be speaking on a cell phone during the robbery, but police said they believe she was simply pulling her hood down to better conceal her face.
In 2008, nearly 18,000 boys younger than 18 were arrested for robberies nationwide, according to FBI statistics. About 1,900 females younger than 18 were arrested, a 38 percent increase from 1999.