Litterbug bank robber tosses cash during chase By Deanna Boyd Star-Telegram Staff Writer
FORT WORTH - Some motorists traveling from Fort Worth to Arlington on Wednesday were surprised by unexpected flurries -- not the white stuff, but cold, hard, green cash.
Police say a gun-toting woman robbed the Wells Fargo Bank at 1661 S. University Drive about 11:50 a.m., then sporadically tossed the loot out her car window as she led police on a pursuit into Arlington.
One bundle hit officer Danny Miears' windshield.
"He said it kind of exploded like a bird hitting his windshield and feathers going everywhere," said Lt. Jesse Hernandez, a police spokesman.
Deanna L. Keith, 39, surrendered after police boxed in her Ford Focus near Prairie Oaks Drive and the Texas 360 service road, Hernandez said.
Hernandez said the chase, which reached speeds of 80 mph, began after an alert citizen flagged Miears down and pointed out the car fleeing from the bank robbery.
The pursuit wound through Trinity Park and into downtown before proceeding south on U.S. 287, east on Interstate 20 and north on the Texas 360 service road.
"We have officers along the entire route of the pursuit collecting evidence," robbery Sgt. Kevin Morton said.
One officer returned to the bank shortly after the robbery with a fistful of $10 bills he had found. Honest citizens also turned in money, an action Hernandez described as a "good idea."
"If they try to spend it and it can be traced back to the robbery, then the FBI will want to talk to those folks," Hernandez said.
By 4:30 p.m., police had recovered all but $237 of the stolen money, an amount police declined to disclose.
Anyone who finds the cash is asked to call the robbery unit at (817) 877-8316 or return it to the bank.
