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Police search for serial bank robber accused of recruiting teens to help her

ATLANTA — Police are searching for a serial bank robber they say recruited teenagers to help her hold up branches across metro Atlanta.

Authorities tell Channel 2 Action News investigative reporter Mark Winne 25 year-old Nilsa Marie Urena was ticketed for a flight to Panama from New Jersey but did not use it. On that same night, they said their investigators arrested two teenagers she recruited to help in two of the four bank robberies in which she's suspected.

Those two teens are in custody but Urena is still on the loose.

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The robberies date back to Oct. 30, when police said Urena held up a Wells Fargo branch in Stone Mountain. Police also suspect Urena robbed an Associated Credit Union in Ellenwood, and got away with money after threatening to have an explosive device, also on Oct. 30.

Police showed Winne surveillance video that captured Urena entering the Bank of the Ozarks on Hospital Drive in Douglasville on Nov. 3. They said she also robbed a Georgia's Own Credit Union on Loganville Highway in Grayson that same day.

Winne spoke with a 17-year-old who has been charged in this case.

Serial bank robber suspected in 4 hold ups

"I seen her walking on Candler Road and I wanted to talk to her. I took her to my house. We had sex, (and) she told me she had (a) bank move. I asked her what it was. She told me how she did it,” he said.

Wearing jail clothes, the teen told Winne what happened.

"In the first bank, I went in (and) she told me to give the people the note. I was scared to give the people the note 'cause I didn’t want to do it. So I ended not giving them folks the note," he said.

Police told Winne that Urena has been charged in the Douglasville case, but when Winne checked, he did not find an indicationthat the woman has been charged so far in the other three bank robberies.

Urena is described as 5 feet 7, and about 145 pounds.