Richland releases more photos of female bank robber

Posted: 12:00am on Jul 20, 2011; Modified: 10:50am on Jul 20, 2011

Richland police say this woman robbed the Yakima Federal Savings and Loan bank on Jadwin Avenue around 2 p.m. Monday. They're investigating whether the suspect is the Bad Hair bandit, who has robbed about a dozen banks around the state, including ones in Moses Lake and Ellensburg in April.

RICHLAND -- Additional photos of a woman involved in Monday afternoon's robbery at Yakima Federal Savings and Loan were released Tuesday by Richland police.

The new photos, taken from bank surveillance cameras, shows the suspect wearing denim shorts, a yellow shirt with a large, multi-colored butterfly on the front.

The suspect also has blond hair and was wearing a black hat and black-framed glasses.

Video footage from the outside of the bank shows the robber getting into a silver sedan that appears to be a mid-2000's Chrysler Sebring, said Capt. Mike Cobb.

Investigators are continuing to review video footage of businesses in the areas surrounding the bank to try to get more information, Cobb said.

The suspect walked into the Yakima Federal Savings bank on the corner of Jadwin Avenue and Swift Boulevard around 2 p.m., implied she had a gun and demanded cash from the teller.

Police are looking into whether the woman is the serial bank robber dubbed the Bad Hair bandit, who is known to wear wigs to change her appearance and often is seen in a black hat and black-framed glasses.

The Bad Hair bandit has hit about a dozen banks around the state since December, including ones in Ellensburg and Moses Lake in April.

In the Moses Lake heist, the robber was suspected of traveling in a silver Chrysler Sebring.

Anyone with information on the suspect or the vehicle used in Richland's robbery, can call police on the nonemergency dispatch line at 628-0333.

Suspect identified in Monday shooting

PASCO -- Pasco police have identified a suspect who is being sought with her boyfriend in connection with Monday afternoon's shooting in east Pasco.

Jessica V. Chavez, 20, of Pasco, is suspected of being in a car that was in the driveway of 432 N. Elm Ave. when shots were fired, said Capt. Jim Raymond.

The 20-year-old resident of the home reportedly was arguing with Chavez's boyfriend about some personal property.

Chavez's boyfriend, who police say goes by the name Morro, is accused of pulling out a handgun and shooting the victim in the leg.

The couple left the area before officers arrived.

Investigators say they believe Chavez and her boyfriend are traveling in an older, black Mitsubishi Galant with Washington plates.

Chavez, who is 5-foot-1, 115 pounds with red-tinted hair, is suspected of being in the Tri-Cities.

Morro is in his early 20s and has a stocky build, Raymond said. He has a tattoo of a rosary on his left hand and the name "Jessica" tattooed on his right arm.

Anyone with information about the suspects or vehicle should call Pasco police.

Pasco man sought for meth

PASCO -- Pasco police and Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers are searching for a Pasco man wanted on a warrant for possessing meth.

Armando Sanchez Chavez, 21, is 5-foot-7, 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

He was last known to be living in the 1100 block of Lincoln Drive.

Chavez has a felony bench warrant out for his arrest for possession of meth and a felony warrant from the state Department of Corrections for escape from community custody on an original charge of possession of a controlled substance.

Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers pays a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that results in a felony arrest.

Anyone with information about Chavez's whereabouts can call 586-8477 or visit www.tricitiescrimestoppers.org. Tips can also be sent by text message by writing "Text TIP 411" plus the message to CRIMES (274637).

All calls to Crime Stoppers are confidential.

2 women allegedly broke into Prosser storage unit

PROSSER -- Two women suspected of stealing from a Prosser storage unit are being held in the Benton County jail on a no-bail hold.

Misty Dawn Searcy, 33, of Grandview, and Patricia Lynn Maciel, 29, were arrested by Prosser police, who received a report of a suspicious vehicle at the Minnie Storage, 255 Old Inland Empire Highway, court documents said.

Officers saw a white Dodge Neon leaving the area, stopped it and spotted numerous items inside.

Searcy, the driver, and Maciel both said they did not have a storage unit at the location but said they were picking items up for someone who did, documents said.

Officers contacted the woman, who "couldn't state that they were there for her or not," documents said.

Another officer then found unit 168 had a lock missing and had been ransacked. The owners of the unit were called and they positively identified some items found in Searcy's car, documents said.

Maciel was turned over to Benton County sheriff's deputies who arrested her on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine from a June 6 incident.

Searcy then was taken to the Prosser police station where her car was searched and officers found bolt cutters, a lock and leather bag containing two glass pipes and baggies with suspected methamphetamine.

Searcy denied breaking into the storage unit.

She was booked into the Benton County jail and is being held on investigation of first-degree burglary, third-degree possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools.

Maciel was jailed on investigation of possessing meth, first-degree burglary, third-degree possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools.

Man accused of trying to steal off-road vehicle

KENNEWICK -- A 33-year-old Grandview man accused of trying to steal an off-road vehicle is being held without bail in the Benton County jail.

Shaun T. Shawley was arrested Friday by Prosser police after officers received a report about an interrupted burglary on Alice Street, court documents said.

The suspect, who was wearing a plaid shirt, blue jeans and a hat, jumped the fence, took off running and was not found, documents said.

About two hours later, officers were called to an interrupted theft on Rosa Vista Place and learned the homeowner returned home and found a man trying to steal their off-road vehicle, documents said.

The suspect was wearing jeans and carrying a white T-shirt.

Officers saw a city employee nearby who reported seeing a man running away from the area, and a short time later officers saw a red ford Taurus parked on a dead-end road, documents said.

The woman driving the car was known to the officer and previously had been arrested for possessing a stolen car, documents said.

She appeared to be alone, but when the officer walked up to the car he saw a man wearing jeans and a white T-shirt sitting "extremely low," documents said.

The man, later identified as Shawley, reportedly admitted trying to steal the off-road vehicle but initially denied being involved in the first incident, documents said.

A credit card belonging to the homeowner in the first incident was found on the floor of the car by the front passenger door, documents said.

Shawley was jailed on investigation of attempted theft of a motor vehicle, residential burglary and second-degree trespassing.

-- Paula Horton: 509-582-1556; phorton@tricityherald.com

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