Mother Jailed For TenRobberies

HIALEAH, Fla. - (11/19/04) -- A 37-year-old mother of two youngchildren was arrested Wednesday trying to rob a local bank, thetenth financial institution she is accused of hold-up since lastApril. Marta Rosa Prida, a former banker employee, told police sherobbed the institutions, including at least three credit unions, tosupport her out-of-control gambling habit. Prida would hand notesto tellers in which she threatened to kill people unless peoplehanded over cash, then would ask for the notes back, so as not toleave fingerprints, police said. She would then explicitly instructtellers how to retrieve the money so they didn't trigger an alarm,a trick she learned while working at a bank. She was nabbed tryingto rob Continental National Bank here, the same bank she began herspree at. Among the credit unions she is believed to have robbedare Peoples CU (twice) and Eastern Financial CU.