A bank heist turned arrest unfolded Tuesday afternoon at the Grow Financial Federal Credit Union on N. Oregon Avenue in Tampa. Maria Montesino, a 42-year-old woman, is accused of the robbery which took place shortly after 2:30 p.m., WFLA reported. Montesino allegedly informed the teller that a man outside was compelling her to execute the robbery, claiming he would detonate a bomb if she did not comply.
Tampa Police Department detectives, working diligently to thoroughly investigate, managed to swiftly locate and arrest Montesino within two hours at an apartment complex close to the scene. The fear that gripped the teller, faced with the perceived threat of an explosive device, led to Montesino receiving the money before she fled, according to FOX 13 News. However, subsequent inquiries led authorities to dismiss the existence of an accomplice or a bomb.
Focused detectives did not discover any evidence backing Montesino's claims of an armed accomplice or the existence of any explosive device. Tampa Police, after detaining Montesino, charged her with several felonies including robbery and making a false bomb threat. Specifically, she is accused of robbery of more than $750 but less than $20K, the false report of a bomb, explosive, or weapon of mass destruction, and for threatening to discharge a destructive device, as stated by WTSP.
Montesino now faces the prospect of defending herself against these serious charges in court.
