The woman accused of a one-day bank robbery spree listened quietly Tuesday as tellers described the alleged crimes but sobbed openly when the visitation with her 18-month old daughter was discussed in court.
Victoria Rose Wilkerson, 20, is accused of robbing or trying to rob three banks in the span of two hours on Monday, May 10. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
FBI agents said the suspect captured on security cameras in all three incidents was a woman, wearing sunglasses and a big knit hat.
The first heist took place at a Wells Fargo in the 5600 block of Mission Center Road in Mission Valley around 9:45 a.m.
An hour later, a Mission Federal Credit Union was robbed in the 3800 block of Avocado Boulevard in El Cajon.
Fifteen minutes later, a woman matching the description circulated after the first two robberies struck a Chase Bank in the 3400 block of College Avenue.
Chase Bank teller Matthew Lopez noticed the suspect as soon as he saw her and as she got closer, he saw tape on the pads of her fingers, he testified.
Lopez said the suspect had a mobile phone to her ear but didn’t appear to be talking to anyone. “I didn’t see her moving her mouth or anything,” he testified.
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The suspect looked outside and then abruptly left the Chase Bank, leaving the money behind, Lopez said.
One of the tellers involved described the suspect's demand note in court.
It stated “Give me 100s, 50s, 20s. I have a gun. No dye packs. No tracers. Hurry,” bank teller Jessica LaPage testified.
“I was a little bit stunned. I didn’t expect it,” La Page said.
La Page kept the demand note while the suspect took the money. It was a fingerprint left on that note which led investigators to arrest Wilkerson.
At the end of Tuesday’s preliminary hearing, defense attorneys asked Judge Link to grant Wilkerson visitation with her 18-month-old daughter. Link denied the request. After that, Wilkerson burst into tears.
She is due back in court in November to start her trial.
