HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida woman who walked into a bank with a Nerf gun and exclaimed, “This is a robbery,” has been arrested and charged.
On Thursday, Hernando County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Wells Fargo at 1337 Commercial Way in Spring Hill regarding a Robbery.
Upon arrival, deputies spoke with bank employees who said that on Wednesday at approximately 12:30 p.m., a customer, Vanessa Ortega, entered the bank holding a bright blue object in her left hand.
The object reportedly resembled a firearm. Ortega raised the object, pointed it at customers and bank staff, and yelled, “This is a robbery, give me all your money!”
In the news: REWARD: 2 Robbery And Kidnapping Suspects Wanted In St. Petersburg
Ortega then pointed the object at a female customer, telling her to “Put all your money in my envelope.”
Both customers and staff were in fear of Ortega’s actions.
Ortega then proceeded to the teller’s window and told the teller she was only joking.
Ortega then withdrew $500 from her own bank account and left the bank without further incident.
Bank staff told deputies they could easily identify Ortega, as she was a regular customer in the branch. Upon viewing surveillance footage, deputies could also easily identify Ortega, as they had previous law enforcement contacts with her.
As detectives responded to the call, a Verbal Disturbance call for service was received at another location. It was quickly determined that Ortega was one of the parties involved in the disturbance.
Ortega was transported to the HCSO to be interviewed by detectives.
In the news: Mulberry Teen Arrested For Attempted Murder During Armed Robbery At Lakeland McDonald’s
During the interview, Ortega admitted she entered the bank with a “Nerf-style” toy gun, which she carries with her for protection. She also admitted to yelling, “This is a robbery, give me all your money.” Ortega stated she was just joking about the robbery.
Detectives obtained a warrant for the arrest of Vanessa Ortega. She was placed under arrest and charged with Attempted Robbery and being held on a $20,000 bond.
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Signup for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help; visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps.