Police Arrest Woman Accused of Trying to Rob Bank in Fort Pierce

An apparently unarmed 18-year-old woman was taken into custody by Fort Pierce police and charged with trying to rob the PNC bank on Virginia Avenue last week. She had been identified by a Crime Stopper tip that was generated by the Fort Pierce Police Department’s Facebook website page.

The woman allegedly walked into the bank and handed a teller a note that demanded cash. She then fled the scene without any money at all. She was nabbed on Avenue Q and transported to the St. Lucie County Jail where she was charged with attempted robbery.

Robbery in Florida
According to section 812.13(1) of the Florida Statutes, robbery involves taking money or other property from the person or custody of somebody else with the intent to either temporarily or permanently deprive that person or its lawful owner of it. In order for the taking to fall under the purview of the robbery statute, there must be a use of force, violence or putting the victim in fear. An attempt is defined by section 777.04(1) of the Florida Statutes.

An Attempt in Florida
What might come to issue in the charge of attempted robbery in the Fort Pierce PNC case is whether the teller was put in fear. The language in the note that the woman allegedly passed was not disclosed, and police didn’t indicate whether she said anything to the teller. Section 777.04(1) of the Florida Statutes defines an attempt as an act toward the commission of an offense, “but fails in the perpetration or is intercepted or prevented in the execution thereof.”

Abandonment
Jeffrey H. Garland is a Fort Pierce criminal defense lawyer, and he advises of another defense to the attempted robbery charge pursuant to section 777.04(5)(a) of the Florida Statutes. This section seems to indicate that a valid defense to a charge might be asserted if the person accused of a crime abandons their attempt to commit that crime.

To date, the woman has been charged under Florida law, but she can also be charged federally. If you or someone who you know have been in a similar legal situation involving an attempted robbery, contact the Law Office of Jeffrey H. Garland in Fort Pierce at 772-489-2200 to arrange for a free consultation and case evaluation. He’s been effectively protecting your rights since 1981.