Betty Gail Hudson's attempt to solve her "urgent personal financial problems" ended in handcuffs and a felony charge Tuesday evening, after the 55-year-old's planned bank heist was foiled, according to a Gainesville Police Department arrest report.
Hudson, who had no prior criminal history, entered the Wachovia bank at 6301 W Newberry Road around 3 p.m. with a loaded .38-caliber revolver, a black duffle bag and a mask, said GPD spokesman Lt. Keith Kameg.
However, Kameg said, she forgot to pull the mask over her head.
"She was very nervous," he said. "It was obvious she has never done this before."
But her exposed face was only the first hitch in Hudson's plan.
When she pointed the gun at a teller and demanded money, Hudson did not know she was standing next to customer Lawrence D. Perez, an off-duty law enforcement officer who was carrying a gun of his own.
Perez pointed his gun at Hudson, ordering her to drop her weapon, Kameg said.
She complied, got on the ground and waited for GPD officers to arrive.
"As soon as he saw what was going on, he confronted her and it was done," Kameg said.
The bank was full of customers at the time of the incident, he added.
After she was arrested, Hudson told police she tried to rob the bank because she was under severe personal financial hardship, according to her arrest report.
She was charged with attempted robbery with a firearm, a felony offense, the report stated.
"Financial hardship or not, you still can't do this," Kameg said. "You can't take a gun into a bank and expect good things to happen."
