Feb 29, 2008 10:20 pm US/Eastern
NY Woman Robs Bank, Arrested After Returning Money
Has Change Of Heart, Writes Apology Note To Authorities
Reporting
Lou Young
BROOKLYN (CBS) ―
Sometimes it's too late to say you're sorry. That seems to be the case for a Brooklyn woman awaiting arraignment Friday night for robbing a bank. She was arrested after she returned most of the money.
She's known as "Brooklyn's Reclusive Cat Woman Bank Robber," who told police she needed cash for her cat's medical bills for a string of robberies in 2004. Police say she was at it again last week a bank in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
You have to figure that once you're a convicted bank robber you're pretty much on the police radar, and that's the fact in this case. Eagle-eyed Detective Harry Antoine took a look at the surveillance tape from last week's North Fork Bank robbery and thought it looked a lot like Catherine Kacznanowski, the woman from four years ago. He also noted she only lived down the block.
He went to visit her, urging her to come forward with any information she may have regarding the latest robbery.
She figured out they were on to her, so she sealed her fate by taking the $700 that remained from the robbery and allegedly put it in an envelope, returning it to the bank with a note of apology. She then went back to the bank, where she waited to be arrested. But just before that, she made one last stop before handing over her freedom to authorities, at a liquor store. She bought a $7 bottle of bourbon to ease the anxiety.
The boys in the neighborhood aren't sure what to make out of it.
"Did she think they were going to forgive her for it? I don't understand. It's just nuts," said Joe Cariati.
Catherine Kaczanowski is expected to be arraigned Friday night on charges of robbery and possession of stolen property.
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