‘Freedom Fighter Bandit’ sought in Georgia bank robberies

ATLANTA – Federal authorities are seeking the public’s help to locate a 25-year-old woman dubbed the “Freedom Fighter Bandit” who they say is behind a string of bank robberies in Georgia.

The FBI’s Atlanta office says the most recent robbery happened Thursday at Hamilton State Bank in Dallas, Georgia, about 30 miles (about 50 kilometres) northwest of Atlanta.

The FBI says Nilsa Marie Urena and a male accomplice walked in at 11:30 a.m. and announced a robbery. The FBI says Urena said she had a bomb and told employees not to call police. Another male suspect drove the getaway car, a champagne-colored sedan.

The FBI says Urena is called the “Freedom Fighter Bandit” because she says she’s robbing banks for a cause.

Authorities believe she’s behind a series of bank robberies stretching back to October.