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Updated: 4:55 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, 2010 | Posted: 4:33 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, 2010

'F-Bomb' Bandit Identified As 16-Year-Old Girl



SEATTLE —

A 16-year-old girl and three other people have been charged with five counts of first-degree robbery in connection with a series of bank robberies by the "f-bomb" bandit.

Police dubbed the 16-year-old girl the f-bomb bandit because of the language police said she used in the demand notes given to tellers during five bank robberies in the Seattle area.

SLIDESHOW: Surveillance Photos Of 'F-Bomb Bandit'

A tip led detectives to the teen who was arrested on March 8. After interviewing her, they were led to three other suspects.

Seattle and Renton police, the King County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI connected the four suspects to the following bank robberies:

- Jan. 11 at a Bank of America branch in a QFC store in Renton - Feb. 2 at a Chase Bank in Seattle - Feb. 4 at a Bank of America inside a Safeway store in Kent - Feb. 16 at a Wells Fargo Bank in a Safeway store - Feb. 24 at an Alaska USA Federal Credit Union in Seattle

Investigators said someone who saw photos of the robber on the news and Internet identified the suspect as 16-year-old Shennell Kennebrew.

Police arrested Kennebrew and she was taken in for questioning. According to charging documents, Kennebrew told detectives that she robbed the five banks with the help of her boyfriend 17-year-old Dasha Taylor. She said that Taylor and his cousin, 40-year-old Keith Sims, “had tried repeatedly to get her to rob banks and after some time, she agreed.”

She also told the detective that someone told her “that nothing would happen to her if she got caught because she was a juvenile,” documents stated.

In all of the bank robberies, she said Sims took her to the banks and told her how to conduct each robbery. She said Taylor gave her a hat and coat to wear and that they would also give her the robbery demand notes, documents said.

She said that after each robbery, she was to leave the plastic bag with cash in a place so Taylor or Sims could get the bag, the documents said.

Taylor and Sims would sit in the parking lot of the banks and watch the police activity after the robbery. If there was no activity, documents said they would pick up the bag containing the cash.

After the robberies, Kennebrew said Taylor’s other girlfriend, 17-year-old Jade Beers, would pick her up, the documents said.

Kennebrew told detectives that “she was in love with Taylor and that she thought he cared for her.” She also said she got $25 and a new coat for her role in the robberies.

When detectives questioned Beers, she admitted that she was Kennebrew’s getaway driver for three of the robberies, documents said. She also said Taylor and Sims talked her into helping with the robberies and that she considered Taylor to be her boyfriend.

Police arrested Taylor and Sims on March 25. Both of them denied any involvement with any of the robberies and said Kennebrew and Beers were lying to cover up their crimes, according to charging documents.

Using cell phone records, investigators said Taylor’s cell phone was present at four of the robberies and Sims’ cell phone was at each of the five robberies.

Kennebrew, Beers, Taylor and Sims have each been charged with five counts of first-degree robbery and will be arraigned April 8.

Previous Stories: March 8, 2010: Suspected 'F-Bomb Bandit' In Police Custody February 26, 2010: 'F-Bomb Bandit' Strikes Fifth Bank February 19, 2010: 'F-Bomb Bandit' Wanted For Series Of Bank Robberies

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