A woman wearing a hijab robbed a DFCU bank in Dearborn

DEARBORN — A woman wearing a hijab robbed a DFCU bank in Dearborn on Monday. The suspect entered the bank, located at 21551 Oakwood, and handed the teller a threatening note demanding cash, police said.

A suspect in an Islamic headscarf had robbed a bank in Taylor in June. Police believe the incidents are connected. 

A woman wearing a hijab also robbed a bank in Dearborn Heights in January. 

Lt. Ronald Beggs said police believe the crimes in Taylor and Dearborn were most likely carried by the same woman, based on surveillance footage. 

Dearborn police are not yet disclosing the specific content of the threatening note, but the suspect claimed to have a bomb in the Taylor robbery. 

Beggs said police have no way of knowing if the woman really wears the hijab, or if she was using it as a disguise. 

“It was described as a hijab,” Beggs told The Arab American News. He added that the teller, who described it as such, is an Arab American who is familiar with the Islamic headscarf.

“I can’t discern somebody’s religious authenticity based on a surveillance photo,” the lieutenant said.

A photo distributed by Dearborn police shows the “Hijabi bank robber” in a black headscarf, and black t-shirt, with dark pink long sleeves extending under it. 

The suspect is a White female, according to the police. She fled in an unknown vehicle. 

“With help from the community, we will identify the suspect, and use all available resources to apprehend this individual,” Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad said in a statement. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Dearborn Police Department at 313-943-2241.

A photo of the Taylor suspect, whom police believe is the same woman who robbed the bank in Dearborn