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CNN Live Saturday

Police Arrest Two Girls for Trying to Rob a Bank

Aired July 21, 2001 - 13:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: A small community in Pennsylvania is in shock today after learning that two young girls, ages 10 and 13, were arrested after allegedly trying to rob a bank. We get the story from Rebecca Hower from affiliate KDKA in Pittsburgh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS KELLY, BALDWIN POLICE CHIEF: This is what we have to say. I mean, that's the hardest part to believe is how thorough they thought this out.

REBECCA HOWER, KDKA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Baldwin Chief Chris Kelly says he has never seen anything like it. Two girls, ages 10 and 13, walked into this PNC bank. They covered their faces with towels and showed this note to the teller. It said, quote: "We don't want to hurt you or anyone, so just put $2,000 in the bag, and we'll be on our way. I have a gun in my pocket, but like I said, we don't want to hurt anyone."

Chief Kelly says the girls also told the teller that there was a man waiting in the car outside who said he would kill them if they did not rob the bank. The teller sounded the alarm, and when the police got there, they spent some time searching for the nonexistent man, before the girls confessed. They said they wanted the money to go buy clothes at a nearby Value City.

KELLY: Nothing surprises you anymore, but, you know, 10 and 13, with a plan lake this, they don't realize the fear that they put in people or the -- the wheels that go into motion when things like this happen.

HOWER: The chief says the girls had never been in trouble before. One of the girls was even an honor student.

We went to the girl's neighborhood where people had heard the news and were in disbelief. Leslie Townes says the two girls always played ball with her son Brandon and neither seemed capable of anything like robbery.

LESLIE TOWNES, NEIGHBOR: They were just like average little girls playing, like all the rest of the little girls. They were not real bad or nothing, nothing like that. Just playing like the rest of the kids. BRANDON TOWNES, FRIEND: They were nice. One little girl, she was sort of a tomboy. You would never think that she would do something like that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KELLEY: Once again, that story from us from our affiliate KDKA in Pittsburgh. The girls are charged with attempted robbery and conspiracy.

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