A 9-year-old boy who had saved $160 to open his first bank account helped get his grandmother out of harm’s way when a robbery unfolded in front of them at a Mesa Bank of America branch
Hunter and his grandmother, Colette Jordan, were sitting in the lobby of the Bank of America at Broadway and Greenfield, waiting for an appointment to open his first savings account, when Hunter noticed a woman enter wearing a ski mask and a black hoodie.
“I saw somebody walk in with a ski mask or whatever it’s called and a black hoodie. I saw her jump over the teller’s desk, and you know, point something at her head,” Hunter said.
Rather than panic, Hunter calmly walked over and tapped his grandmother on the shoulder.
“He said, ‘Nana, the bank’s being robbed,’” Jordan said.
When asked if he was scared, Hunter said he was not — and explained why.
“Because if I get scared then I could get the robber’s attention, and just absolutely end our lives,” he said.
Jordan grabbed Hunter and the two hid under a desk for cover.
“The first thing that crossed my mind was that I had to get him safe. I couldn’t let anything happen to him,” Jordan said.
Mesa police arrived and found the suspect, 41-year-old Leetasha Yazzie, hiding nearby. She was taken into custody. The bank was placed on lockdown.
Yazzie is facing multiple felony charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and robbery.
Mesa police released a statement saying Hunter’s “awareness and willingness to speak up was commendable.”
Meanwhile, with the bank on lockdown, Hunter and Jordan stayed on the premises — and made use of the time.
“Since we were stuck there, the bank manager continued to open his account. So we got all the paperwork done,” Jordan said.
She said the family plans to avoid in-person banking going forward.
“I think we’re going to stick to online banking as much as we can,” she said.
We understand a nine-year-old was inside the bank during the robbery and recognized that something was wrong. He quickly alerted his grandmother who was able to get to safety. His awareness and willingness to speak up were commendable.
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