WASHINGTON – The elusive local woman known as the “blond bandit” who is charged with two bank robberies and carjacking last year pleaded guilty to three of seven counts in U.S. District Court on Thursday.
Stephanie Schwab, 26, who was arrested last November after a police chase that went on the Beltway from Virginia to Maryland, pleaded guilty to bank robbery, driving a stolen car across state lines and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
She will be sentenced on July 6.
Schwab first caught the attention of police after she allegedly hitched a ride on Thanksgiving Day at a Safeway supermarket at the corner of Baltimore National Pike and Ingleside Avenue in Baltimore County.
The driver took her to another supermarket on Baltimore Pike, where Schwab allegedly tried to steal the car by holding the female driver at knifepoint, Baltimore County police say.
Schwab escaped on foot. Police found a 2003 silver Acura at the Safeway parking lot, which was allegedly stolen earlier by Schwab in Fairfax County.
“The Blond Bandit” was also wanted for bank robbery at the BB&T bank branch on Old Keene Mill Road in Fairfax County on Nov. 22, 2011, and a bank robbery at the Virginia Commerce Bank on Balls Ford Road in Prince William County on Nov. 18.
On Nov. 30, police responded to an attempted robber, which turned out to be Schwab, at a BB&T bank in McClean in the early afternoon. Police cruisers then chased her around the Beltway until she crashed near Old Georgetown Road.
She was apprehended after a short foot chase.
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WTOP’s Hank Silverberg contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.
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