A bank robbery suspect with unmistakable bright blue hair and a leopard-print jacket was arrested yesterday after Santa Rosa police say she passed a threatening note to a teller at a Chase Bank on Sonoma Avenue, then walked out with cash. Officers found her about an hour later inside the Montgomery Village Post Office and booked her into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of robbery. No weapon was shown, and authorities have not disclosed how much money was taken.
The Santa Rosa Police Department said the robbery was reported around 9:50 AM, when a woman handed a teller a note demanding money and threatening to kill people, according to The Press Democrat. After receiving an undisclosed sum, the suspect left the branch on foot while detectives and evidence technicians processed the scene. Surveillance footage and the distinctive description given to officers helped guide the search.
Patrol Officer Located Suspect Inside Post Office
Roughly an hour after the theft, a patrol officer spotted a woman matching that description inside the Montgomery Village Post Office and took her into custody without incident, as reported by Bay City News Service via SFGATE. The outlet reports she was identified as 32-year-old Jane Hollingworth of Santa Rosa and booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of robbery.
Booking and Identity
Police said the woman matched the description that had gone out to officers - bright blue hair and a leopard-print jacket - which helped them home in on the Montgomery Village shopping center, according to The Press Democrat. That eye-catching look may not have been ideal for anyone hoping to blend in after a bank robbery.
Legal Note
Robbery in California involves taking another person’s property by force or fear and is prosecuted as a felony that can carry multi-year prison terms, per the California Legislature's Penal Code. For the statute that defines robbery, see the state code at the California Legislature website: California Legislature.
Local Context
This is one of several daylight, note-style bank robberies reported around the region in recent years. A separate 2024 Chase robbery ultimately led to an arrest in 2025. Detectives routinely review surveillance and other evidence in these kinds of incidents as they decide whether to seek charges, according to SFGATE.
