The woman dubbed the “Burqa Bandit,” who was recently sentenced for her role in trying to rob a National City bank, spoke with 10News about her crime.
She told 10News, she did it to care for her ailing 2-year-old son and she said she would do it again.
“I’m not a thief,” said Elysia Roiz from the Las Colinas Jail in Santee. “I don’t do robberies. I was just in a really bad situation.”
Roiz said she felt she did not have a choice.
“I have a special needs son,” she said.
10News was inside the courtroom Thursday as Elysia Roiz was sentenced to two concurrent terms in prison, which was four less than what she was facing.
“I mean, I was expecting something a little bit harsher,” she said.
In July, Roiz walked into a National City Wells Fargo bank along Highland Avenue and attempted to rob a teller behind a glass case. A surveillance camera captured the incident.
“When I realized it wasn’t going to work was when the teller hid under the counter, I was like pretty lost like. ‘What am I going to do now?’” said Roiz.
Roiz was dressed in a religious garment. She said her clothing was something she thought about for a long time.
“I thought, ‘If you were to do something crazy, like rob a bank, how would you do it?’” said Roiz. “I’ve always seen those outfits and I was just like ‘That would be a damn good way to do it.’”
10News Reporter Jennifer Jensen asked Roiz about her choice of disguise and how it offended those of Muslim faith.
“I don’t think it was fair of me to exploit that, but what better costume?” Roiz said.
Roiz was found two months later hiding out in Tijuana, Mexico with her young son.
She said he suffers from a blot-clot disorder, which makes it difficult for him to use the left side of his body.
With no money to care for him and no family who could help, she attempted to rob the bank. She told 10News, she would do it again.
“Mommy messed up, mommy’s in jail, only the police will keep me from him,” said Roiz. “He knows, I am pretty sure he knows, that I would do anything, I would do it again if I had to.”
Roiz said her son is now in the custody of a relative out of state.
She said when she gets out, just before his 4th birthday, she will leave her life of gangs and drugs behind and raise her son away from San Diego.