At 78 years old, most people might be enjoying retirement, spending time with family, or picking up a new hobby. But Bonnie Gooch? She had other plans—like robbing a bank.
This Missouri woman, no stranger to breaking the law, made headlines for her third attempt at a bank heist. On April 5, Gooch walked into Goppert Financial Bank, decked out in a black N95 mask, sunglasses, and gloves, and passed the teller a note. It simply said, “I need 13,000 small bills.”
According to the Kansas City Star, her patience ran thin as she banged on the counter, urging the staff to hurry up. But what really caught people’s attention wasn’t the robbery itself—it was the note she handed over before making her getaway. It read: “Thank you, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
You read that right. A polite apology in the middle of a crime.
Gooch then left the bank and climbed into her Buick Enclave, complete with a disability registration, and drove off. However, her escape didn’t last long. By 3:20 PM, Pleasant Hill police officers found her sitting in her car. The scene? A vehicle that smelled like alcohol, with cash scattered across the floor.
“When officers first approached her, they were kind of confused,” Pleasant Hill Police Chief Tommy Wright told reporters. “It’s a little old lady stepping out of the car. We weren’t sure at first if we had the right person.”
But they did. And this wasn’t Gooch’s first rodeo. Back in 1977, she robbed a bank in California. In 2020, she did it again, handing over a birthday card that read, “This is a robbery.”
Now facing a third charge, Gooch stands accused of attempting to steal from a financial institution. Investigators are looking into whether her age or any underlying conditions influenced her actions, though no ailments are currently known.
But Gooch’s story isn’t the only recent tale of unexpected criminal behavior. Just one day after her arrest, a 12-year-old girl and her 14-year-old friend took off in a car belonging to the younger girl’s dad.
After driving over 400 miles from Lake Butler, Florida, the girls, identified as Jade Gregory and Khloe Larson, sparked a missing persons alert. Authorities believe they were trying to meet someone they had connected with online.
Their adventure ended when they saw their faces on TV as missing children. Realizing the gravity of the situation, they turned themselves in after a five-hour search.
From polite bank robbers to preteen road trips, it seems 2024 is shaping up to be a year of eyebrow-raising headlines. What do you think? Is age just a number when it comes to crime? Share your thoughts (and this wild story) with your friends!
