Accused bank robbery suspect faces mental exam

HARPER WOODS, Mich. (WJBK) - A woman is accused of trying to rob a bank in Harper Woods and threatening a customer with a knife.

With cuffs on her wrists and a stain from the dye pack still on her shirt, 58-year-old Lisa Schiedegger appeared in court for a bank robbery charge on Wednesday. The 58-year-old is accused of bringing a butcher knife to the counter of a Citizen's Bank earlier this week.

She walked up to the counter and demanded cash. However, the teller was so surprised by the woman's actions that he didn't give her any money.

Rene Butler was inside the bank at the time and when that happened, Schiedegger turned on her.

"He kind of irritated her when he did not give her the money. So when he did that she ran after me," Butler said.

Butler said the woman chased her around the bank with that knife and she begged the teller to give her the cash.

"I'm screaming give her the money, give her the money," Butler said.

Eventually the bank teller gave her the money and a dye pack which exploded. Police arrested her on the spot.

During her arraignment, a Harper Woods detective told the judge she had a clean record but could be mentally unstable. Her only family is an uncle who has been trying to help.

"He has been trying to take custody of the defendant and get her the proper help for some mental issues that she's been having," the detective said.

She was then ordered to have a competency exam. She told the judge that she understood what was happening.

When it came to bond there was no argument to get it lowered. Schiedegger said she had would have no place to go. The judge set bond at 10% of $100,000 and said if she was to post bond she would have to wear a GPS tether.