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FBI: Sheitel Saved Woman from Bank Robber

CBS New York

It was a hair’s breadth escape by a woman from a bank robbery suspect in northern New Jersey last week.

An FBI report filed Monday in the criminal complaint against Luis Aparicio claims he tried to rob a Chase Bank branch in Rutherford last Thursday and take a woman hostage, only to be foiled by her wig.

The report said Aparicio entered the bank at about 2 p.m. and held what looked like a gun to the neck of a customer service representative.

“I need the money. Don’t try anything stupid, I know how you operate, just give me all the money,” Aparicio said, according to the report.

As the customer service representative and a manager began to give him about $47,000 from a vault, Aparicio heard sirens, grabbed the woman and said, “You’re coming with me,” according to the report.

Police had arrived by the time Aparicio led her out of the bank, the report said. As he tried to grab her by the hair, she wriggled out of the wig and ran away. Aparicio was then shot and injured by police.

Aparicio, of North Bergen, appeared in federal court in Newark on Monday. He is jailed pending a bail hearing.
The federal public defender representing Aparicio didn’t immediately return a phone message Monday.

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26 Comments

  • THIS IS TOO COOOOL

    SHEITEL SAVES THE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    IM NOT MARRIED BUT MAYBE I SHOULD START WEARING ONE FOR PROTECTION AROUND CH

  • yiddish

    Was it a ‘wig’ or a ‘shaitel’ ? Many others wear wigs… but only Yidden wear ‘shaitelach’.

  • Rachel

    Baruch Hashem, though today most big poskim don’t allow sheitels as they have become totally un-tznius, especially the ones that go below the shoulder.

  • re: #8

    what are the qualifications of “BIG POSKIM”?
    who are they?
    the rebbe always insisted on a sheitel!!!!!!
    No matter what!!
    Moishe Emes Vetoroso Emes!!
    We have no right to change the Rebbe’s stand on a matter, according to the changing fashions

  • To # 2

    If your comment is not in jest then you are what is know as a chosid shoteh. She saved herself from possible injury or worse & you are worried about tznius in a dangerous moment.

  • My comment

    Not wearing a Sheitel has also been used for Pritzus. So either way it can lead to that. As for us Lubavitchers the Rebbe said to wear a Sheitel.

  • to #9

    TO9 NUMBER NINE the rebbe said to wear shaitlach, that means to wear a tzinusdike sheitul.

  • Random guy

    I would like to share a story that happened with a friend;
    He was on vacation on his “summer” house, with his parents, and “just-married” wife…. suddenly 5 men entered the house, robbed them, and after the robbering they wanted to take the young wife away, (G-d knows what could happen to her) But when one of them saw the sheitel on the corner, he told his friends: “She is probably with some sort of disease, we should not take her or do anything with her….” and they left!

    This is a recent and true story, it happened in my contry (not USA) I just don´t feel that is right to specify more details

  • only jews could be that crazy

    Of course it was a Shaitel, nobody would ever mistake a wig for real hair!!! — therefore she’d never be able to save her life!!!
    And She went home to her husband and prob kids — alive and safe!!! Have you thought about that one?!
    Brilliant! She had presence of mind to save herself and protect her loved ones!
    I just can’t believe even in this situation ppl find ways to criticize others! and show off that they’re frumer then frumest!!! crazy

  • levikg

    it was hashgacha pratis that she was married i heard it before but now im telling you even if you lost your shaitel its beter then losing your monny

  • snaggy

    Seems to compund the case against the sheitel. The bank robber thought it was her real hair!

  • esty

    Please can someone explain I am confused. Are wigs tznuis or not? I’m a BT and dont understand

  • NUMBER 22

    The robber didn’t stop long enough to consider whether it was a wig. He grabbed the woman. He was in panic. He didn’t scrutinize! Proves nothing silly.

    What I want to know is whether she got her wig back or is it going to be used in evidence. Expensive loss. I’ve been through the experience where travel insurance have argued it should not be in your suitcase (when it went missing) as it is an expensive item. Will her insurance argue that she should not be wearing wigs into banks?

  • Rivka Ziino

    The Law of life is above all else, even on Shabbos you can pull someone’s donkey out of a ditch to save its life and this is not profaning the Sabbath.