Jun 06, 2022

🎥 UPDATE: Woman arrested after attempted bank robbery, bomb threat

Posted Jun 06, 2022 5:50 PM
Fire truck blocking a street in Kensington. Photo by Kirby Ross / Phillips County Review
Fire truck blocking a street in Kensington. Photo by Kirby Ross / Phillips County Review

SMITH COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office arrested a woman connected to a bank robbery in Kensington, Kansas, according to a media release from the KBI.

On Monday morning, June 6, at around 10:15 a.m., a woman robbed the Farmers National Bank at 133 S. Main St. in Kensington, Kansas. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office responded to the location and found Jennie R. Aanenson, 51, of Agra, Kansas, outside of the bank. Aanenson was detained.

The KBI was asked to assist at approximately 10:30 a.m. When questioned, Aanenson reported that she was forced by two men to rob the bank while armed with a bomb that was in her bag. She also claimed that her infant daughter was abducted by the men who left the area while she was inside the bank.

The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office immediately began searching for the reported vehicles. Also assisting in the case were the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office and the Osborne County Sheriff’s Office.

Aanenson-photo KBI
Aanenson-photo KBI

KBI agents arrived to assist, and concluded that no child was abducted, and that Aanenson does not have an infant daughter. KHP’s Hazardous Devices Unit responded to the bank, and determined that the device was not a bomb. 

Monday evening, Aanenson was arrested for suspected aggravated robbery with a dangerous weapon, aggravated criminal threat, and two counts of interference with law enforcement. She was booked into the Smith County Jail. Formal charges are pending.

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UPDATE 6p.m. from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

On Monday morning, June 6, at around 10:30 a.m., the KBI responded to a bank robbery that occurred at the Farmers National Bank at 133 S. Main St. in Kensington, Kansas. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office detained one female subject outside of the bank.

The woman was questioned and reported that she was forced by two men to rob the bank while armed with a bomb. She also reported that her infant daughter was abducted by the men who then left the area. Upon further investigation,

law enforcement concluded that many of her statements were not credible. It has been determined that the device was not a bomb, and that the woman does not have an infant.

Once the subject is arrested, we will provide her name and booking information to you.

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UPDATE: 2:06 p.m.
The Phillips County Sheriff's Department reported around 2 p.m. that a suspect is in custody. 

"No child or other persons of interest are being sought at this time," according to the department's Facebook page.

Bank in Kensington / Photo by Kirby Ross, Philips County Review
Bank in Kensington / Photo by Kirby Ross, Philips County Review

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY AND WILL BE UPDATED AS MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.

UPDATE: 12:45 p.m. 
From the Smith County Communications Facebook page:

Melissa Underwood, communications director for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, has told media outlets that the KBI is "presently involved in this incident and it is very active." Underwood said she has not yet been briefed by those responding.

Video by Kirby Ross / Phillips County Review

Area law enforcement were looking for a shooting victim, two robbery suspects and an 8-week-old baby following an attempted bank robbery in Kensington on Monday morning.

According to scanner traffic, around 10:22 a.m. two Hispanic males entered a bank in Kensington in an attempt to rob the bank.

They fled the scene and were being saught by law enforcement in Kensington and surrounding towns.

Law enforcement in the area is also looking for an 8-week-old baby and a gunshot victim. The relation to the incident is unclear at this time.

One suspect was described as wearing jeans, a white T-shirt has a gold tooth and three teardrop tattoos under an eye.

The second suspect was described as wearing jeans and a green and white flannel shirt with cutoff sleeves.

The suspects were described as driving a white passenger van with a touch screen and Texas license plates.

The gunshot victim was described as driving a four-door Black Jeep Wrangler.

Video by Kirby Ross / Phillips County Review