'Freedom Fighter Bandit' Arrested In Tennessee

ATLANTA, GA — Nilsa Marie Urena, the "Freedom Fighter Bandit" who the FBI says robbed eight metro Atlanta banks while espousing a political cause, has been arrested in Tennessee.

Urena, 25, was arrested after she robbed Upper Cumberland Federal Credit Union near Nashville at about 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, according to the FBI. Urena, a native of Philadelphia, and a string of male accomplices, had previously robbed, or attempted to rob, eight banks in the Atlanta area, authorities say.

Before Saturday, authorities say Urena had most recently robbed the Hamilton State Bank, at 519 Hardee St., in Dallas, the FBI says. Before that, she was named as the main suspect in bank heists in Loganville, Griffin, Comer, Douglasville, Lithonia, Ellenwood and Stone Mountain.

Sometimes appearing in a black coat, black wool cap, black sunglasses, black gloves and black boots, Urena, 25, earned her nickname from authorities because they say she claimed to be stealing in the name of a social cause. What social cause that is, exactly, remained unclear.

On what appears to be Urena's Facebook account, posts in recent months talked about God, "Big Brother" and government conspiracies, suggesting at least once that an apocalypse is imminent. The account's most recent post, from Nov. 17, reads like this:

"Those who accepts the mark shall be thrown in the lake of fire! We have become enslaved by technology. (Idols) Created by the beast (UN) One world government! Walk away for the Messiah is coming to fight against this beast that has been created! It's is here!!!! Face ID or thumb print. This system will be in place everywhere! The cost is 999. 666 Wisdom! Wake up America! Wake up world. Wake up Body of God!"

During the robbery in Dallas the FBI says a female suspect and a male accomplice entered the bank and said they had a bomb, ordering employees not to call police. She was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, with a bandanna covering part of her face.

The FBI also believes Urena is responsible for the following robberies:

• BB&T Bank, 4464 Atlanta Hwy, Loganville, Jan. 19
• First National Bank, 1501 W. McIntosh Rd., Griffin, Dec. 13
• First Citizens Bank, 36 Ga. 72, Comer, Dec. 4
• Bank of the Ozarks, 9001 Hospital Dr., Douglasville, Nov. 3
• Georgia’s Own Credit Union, 2437 Loganville Hwy., Grayson, Nov. 3
• Citizen Trust Bank, 2727 Panola Rd., Lithonia, Nov. 1
• Associated Credit Union, 5032 Old Grant Rd., Ellenwood, Oct. 30
• Wells Fargo Bank, 6063 Memorial Dr., Stone Mountain, Oct. 30 (attempted)

Photos courtesy Federal Bureau of Investigation