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The Couple Who Stole 3.1 Million and Evaded the FBI for 12 Years - Robbers.informative, robbery, trou story and ext.
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00:00In 1993, the city of Las Vegas, known for its glitz, glamour, and high-stakes heists,
00:09became the stage for one of the most audacious crimes in history.
00:13A young woman with a bright future fell under the spell of a master manipulator and a career
00:18criminal and both managed to pull off a $3 million armored truck heist and vanish without
00:24a trace, leaving behind a puzzle that confounded authorities for decades.
00:29How did they do it, and where did they go?
00:32To get answers, keep watching and follow the twists and turns of a story considered one
00:37of history's most daring and mysterious heists.
00:40Today's story revolves around a 21-year-old girl named Heather Tallchief.
00:46Heather was born in 1972 in Buffalo, USA.
00:50Her parents had her when they were teenagers and still in high school.
00:54They were alcoholics and drug users, so her birth was a result of an illegal relationship
00:59under the effect of weed.
01:01Heather grew up in a very chaotic atmosphere her parents used to invite their friends to
01:06drink together.
01:07They were always fighting, and police came to their house on different occasions.
01:12Her parents' relationship didn't last long, as was to be expected given their immaturity
01:17and lack of parenting experience.
01:20Eventually, they got divorced, and the father took Heather's custody when she was still
01:25a toddler.
01:27Growing up with her father was not much better, as he continued his reckless lifestyle, neglecting
01:32Heather's needs and exposing her to dangerous situations.
01:36Heather's father even brought his next girlfriend to his house because she didn't have anywhere
01:41else to stay and ask her to take care of his daughter, but the latter showed some hatred
01:46toward Heather.
01:47She didn't like her and always told her that nobody liked her, and even her mom left her
01:52with her irresponsible father.
01:55In 1987, when Heather turned 16, she moved to live with her mother in San Francisco,
02:02where she got a general equivalency diploma and became a certified nursing assistant at
02:07a clinic.
02:08The majority of the patients she was taking care of had full-blown AIDS.
02:12They were still in their 20s, so she quickly became attached to them.
02:17To the point that she used to feel deeply hurt when someone passed away.
02:21It was tough for her, especially at her age, in addition to the trauma she had experienced
02:26when she was still living with her father and his girlfriend.
02:30Heather wanted to escape.
02:32She couldn't bear all that pain because she saw people dying right in front of her eyes
02:36several times.
02:37At this moment, a girl at work introduced her to crack cocaine as a way to cope with
02:42the emotional toll of her job.
02:45Heather was hesitant at first, but eventually gave in to the temptation, finding temporary
02:50relief from her overwhelming emotions through drug use.
02:54This decision would ultimately lead her to lose her job and spiral further into addiction.
03:00Time passed, and Heather kept hanging out without work, spending most of her time in
03:05bars and nightclubs.
03:07One day, when she was in one of the San Francisco bars, a man approached her and asked her if
03:12he could buy her a drink or something, and Heather accepted because she didn't have
03:17money to pay for her drinks.
03:19This man was Roberto Solis, a career criminal with a complex and notorious history.
03:25His criminal activities date back to the 1960s when he was involved in an attempted armored
03:30truck robbery in San Francisco, during which he shot and killed a security guard, resulting
03:36in his conviction for murder.
03:38While he was sentenced to life in prison, Solis transformed himself into an acclaimed
03:43poet, writing under the alias Panto Aguila.
03:47His writings gained attention, and notable figures in the literary world advocated for
03:52his release.
03:53In 1991, after spending around 23 years in prison, Solis was granted parole.
04:01Heather and Solis kept talking that night while drinking, and suddenly Solis asked Heather
04:05a bizarre question.
04:07''Do you believe in the devil?''
04:09Solis asked.
04:10Heather replied, ''It depends on whether or not one considers that there is God.''
04:16Then Solis invited Heather to his apartment and offered her cocaine.
04:21Heather went with Solis to his apartment, and what she found there was shocking.
04:25Solis kept many weird objects in his apartment, like a goat's head, crystal, and tarot cards
04:31on an altar.
04:32Heather realized that Solis was involved in some dark spiritual practice.
04:37She said later that he was really into eclectic mysticism, pagan-type thoughts, and sex magic,
04:44as she found many books about these topics scattered around his apartment, and some notebooks
04:49where he writes poetry.
04:50Heather, at the time she met Solis, was psychologically disjointed and disconnected, as she was experiencing
04:57a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts because of the emptiness she had been through after
05:02losing her job.
05:04She was aimless and unsure of what direction to take in her life, but after Solis had introduced
05:09her to those concepts, she felt she had discovered new things about herself and found a sense
05:15of purpose and direction she had been lacking.
05:18Solis' presence brought a sense of security that she hadn't felt in a long time.
05:23Eventually, Heather ended up moving in with him right after that.
05:28On the other side, Solis didn't fall short of her.
05:31He treated her like a queen, and made her feel valued and appreciated.
05:36With Solis, Heather was at ease and safe, knowing that she had found someone who truly
05:41cared for her well-being and happiness.
05:44So she fell in love with him quickly and deeply, grateful for the newfound love and support
05:49in her life.
05:50Solis compensated her for the love and the warmth she didn't get from his family.
05:56Heather was aware of Solis' criminal past, but she didn't mind being with him because
06:00she found his chaotic lifestyle to be exciting and unpredictable.
06:05She enjoyed the thrill of living on the edge, and never knowing what would happen next.
06:10For example, one night he called her and asked her to be ready to go, and when she asked
06:15him where they were going, he simply replied,
06:18"...just get ready and bring clothes."
06:22Solis took her to the back of a mall and asked her to sit in the car with the key and make
06:26sure nothing happened to the car.
06:29Meanwhile, he conducted a robbery.
06:31He stole a lockbox with around $30,000 inside and a very nice gold Rolex.
06:38Solis' adventurous and daring nature kept her on her toes, making every moment with
06:43him an adrenaline rush.
06:45Despite the risks involved, she couldn't deny the excitement of being part of his unpredictable
06:50escapades.
06:51Solis, in his nature, was very keen on accumulating wealth, but not in the traditional way.
06:58He was always trying to hit big by doing things totally off the wall.
07:02Selling a boat, arts, playing craps, etc. working hard for 6 or 8 hours a day wasn't
07:09his style.
07:10For this reason, in the summer of 1993, Solis took Heather and headed to Las Vegas, where
07:16he was going to hit big.
07:18When Solis and Heather settled in Las Vegas, Solis kept speaking about his spiritual rituals
07:24and sex magic practices that he believed would bring him luck and success in his endeavors
07:30and tried to convince Heather that these rituals could manifest all the money they'd ever need.
07:36Given the fact that Heather lacked spiritual purpose, Solis was always trying to manipulate
07:41her by involving her in his rituals.
07:43Then, Solis repeatedly urged Heather to get a job at Loomis, a cash handling company that
07:50utilizes a fleet of approximately 3,000 armored vehicles to provide secure armored transport,
07:56and it regularly moves millions in cash between Las Vegas casinos and ATMs.
08:02As mentioned before, Solis was involved in an unsuccessful armored truck heist in 1969,
08:09where he shot and killed an armored car guard named Louis Dake.
08:14This guard was also working for Loomis.
08:17That is to say, Solis wanted to rob the same company for the second time, but this time
08:22he chose to use Heather as an insider to help him carry out the heist.
08:27This connection to Loomis, combined with Solis' criminal history, sheds light on why he's
08:32specifically recommended Heather pursue a job at the company.
08:36Indeed, Heather applied for a security job at Loomis, and she was called for a job interview.
08:43When she went to the interview, they asked her if she had ever done a job like this before,
08:48and she said no.
08:49However, the company hired her even though she didn't have previous experience in the
08:53field, because it seemed that they needed to hire a certain number of females in the
08:57company.
08:58Heather's job was to drive an armored van along with two other co-workers, Scott Stewart
09:04and Steve Marshall.
09:06At the time, Heather wasn't familiar with Las Vegas routes.
09:10She even didn't know how to drive.
09:12She probably had her driving license for a couple of months before starting her job with
09:17Loomis.
09:18Even one of the co-workers said that she hit him with the truck one time.
09:22The ATM truck is a three-person team.
09:25Heather is the driver, and the two other employees stay in the back and handle the money.
09:30They are responsible for refilling and servicing ATMs at various locations throughout Las Vegas,
09:37including casinos.
09:38They remove all the cash in the machines and replace it with brand new cash.
09:44The van could transport up to four or five million dollars in cash on certain days, ensuring
09:49that the ATMs are always fully stocked for customers.
09:53Heather told Solis about the money they transport each day, and Solis showed interest in her
09:58job by asking her about how her day was, what she did, and where she went, and sometimes
10:05he used to ask her about the heavier days when they transported millions of dollars.
10:09Heather enjoyed sharing her experiences with Solis, who always listened intently and asked
10:15thoughtful questions about her work in the cash transportation industry.
10:20Over time, Heather realized that she was providing Solis with the information he needed to turn
10:24his curiosity and interest in her work into a plan to potentially rob the armored van.
10:31After that, Solis asked Heather if she could write down the routes.
10:35They crossed every day for an entire week.
10:37Heather agreed and began keeping a detailed log of their daily routes.
10:42Then Solis took her note and began to follow the routes she had taken so that he could
10:47find out how the roads were every day separately, as he used to go at different times of the
10:51day and various days of the week to make sure himself how the transport process went.
10:58He would go at nine in the morning, at night, during rush hour, and on weekends to get a
11:03comprehensive understanding of the traffic patterns, see what's going on in the surroundings
11:09closely, and watch the guards.
11:11Heather also told him which was her heaviest day.
11:14The day she carried the most packages, so he made sure to observe that specific day
11:19closely to understand the challenges he might face.
11:23After gathering all of this information, Solis finally told Heather that they would take
11:28that armored truck full of money.
11:31Heather kept providing Solis with more information and details about the cash transport process
11:36so he could better plan for the heist.
11:38She told him that during the week, there is a particular day when their first service
11:43point is Circus Circus Casino, and the employees only take what they need to refill the casino's
11:49machines, and the rest of the money is kept in the armored van with Heather.
11:54Furthermore, Circus Circus is the only location where the employees are dropped off at one
11:59spot and picked up at a completely different area.
12:02The employees are dropped off at the basement entrance, and they get picked up from the
12:07main entrance on the opposite side of the casino.
12:10They stay inside for a long time on that day, because there are six to eight ATMs in
12:15different locations of the casino that must be serviced.
12:19Solis, after hearing all these details, told Heather that the heist should be carried out
12:24on that day, because the employees stay inside for a long time.
12:29So they wouldn't recognize or be alerted to the fact that Heather is missing.
12:33They would probably assume that she forgot the pickup spot as usual, because Heather
12:38was used to forgetting the route to the entrance, and the employees had to go locate her, and
12:43this would give them more time to execute the heist without being detected.
12:48Afterward, Solis rented a garage, and made it look like a small company that provides
12:53steel reinforcement for armored vans.
12:56This way nobody would suspect the existence of an armored truck in the garage, because
13:00Solis was planning to bring the armored van to the garage after taking it apart.
13:06He knew that discretion was key in carrying out his plan to steal the valuable cargo from
13:11the armored truck without raising any suspicions.
13:14About two weeks before the day of the operation, almost everything was ready for Solis.
13:20He made a plan for theft, set the date of the operation scheduled for the first Friday
13:24of October, and prepared the hiding place of the armored truck after it was stolen.
13:30But he felt a little fear inside Heather, as he seemed somewhat confused and anxious
13:34to him.
13:35However, at exactly this point, Heather had no choice but to continue to carry out Solis's
13:41instructions because he would not accept otherwise, even if she were hesitant.
13:47Solis started showing her strange VHS hypnosis tapes to help her build her confidence and
13:52calm her nerves.
13:53Solis believed that the tapes would help Heather overcome her fear and become more confident
13:58in executing the plan.
14:00He assured her that everything would go smoothly as long as she followed his guidance and remained
14:05focused on the task at hand.
14:08Solis then began to convince Heather that what they would do was his right because the
14:12robbery of Loomis, which he had carried out before, deprived him of years of his life,
14:18and that he had the right to revenge, and that he deserved everything he would get behind
14:23this operation.
14:24Heather, having been attached to Solis and loving him unconditionally, convinced herself
14:30that what she would do was right and justified in the name of love.
14:34She pushed aside any doubts or reservations she had, determined to stand by Solis no matter
14:40what.
14:41Eventually, Heather also came to see that she deserves to live a life of wealth and
14:46luxury, just like Solis.
14:48This belief further fueled her determination to go through with the robbery, no matter
14:52the consequences.
14:54It was like Solis had taken control of Heather's mind and brainwashed her to the extent that
14:59she began to consider this process as her operation in the first place.
15:03They even began to think about what they would do with the money once they successfully
15:08pulled off the heist.
15:09The allure of a lavish lifestyle clouded Heather's judgment, blurring the line between right
15:15and wrong.
15:16With everything almost in place, Solis still had one major thing to handle.
15:21Heather, after taking the van, would have to drive to the garage in less than one hour
15:26because Solis knew that once the employees were alerted that Heather was missing with
15:30the van, every single police officer in Las Vegas would be looking for her.
15:35So the question is how to move millions in cash without anybody noticing as fast as possible.
15:41Solis had an idea to deal with this problem.
15:44He decided to have Heather do a couple of test runs before the operation to ensure she
15:49could handle the pressure and time constraints without making any mistakes or wrong turns.
15:54This way, Heather would be much more familiar with the route and process, and she could
15:59drive to the garage in a short time without drawing any suspicion, increasing the chances
16:04of a successful execution.
16:07After around four months of preparations and planning, the day of the heist had finally
16:11arrived.
16:12Friday, 1 October, began like every other day for Heather.
16:17At 8 o'clock in the morning, she dressed in her job uniform while watching the VHS
16:22tape for the last time.
16:24She looked calm and focused, trying to go over the plan.
16:28Then she headed to the company to meet her partners and pick up the van.
16:33That day, her two partners, Scott Stewart and Steve Marshall, noticed that Heather was
16:39wearing dressier shoes instead of the work boots that she would normally wear.
16:44This had drawn some suspicions to them, so they told the manager about that.
16:48Fortunately for Heather, the manager didn't think much of it and dismissed their concerns,
16:53allowing Heather to proceed with the plan without any further scrutiny.
16:57Given the fact that it was Friday, the ATMs should be fully serviced in preparation for
17:02a busy weekend, so the van was loaded with $4 million that day.
17:07Then everyone got in the van, Heather on the drive wheel, and the two other partners in
17:12the back, and headed to their first service point, Circus Circus Casino.
17:17Heather drove to the back portion of the Circus Circus Casino and dropped her partners off.
17:23Scott and Steve, the two employees, carried four bags of money, two bags for each, and
17:30got into the casino to refill the ATMs.
17:33They took probably $1 million to ensure that the ATMs remained full for the weekend.
17:39As previously mentioned, after the drop-off, the standard procedure called for Heather
17:44to move the van to the side entrance of the casino to pick up her partners when their
17:49job inside was finished.
17:51But Heather drove away from the casino instead.
17:54After Scott and Steve had serviced all the casino's ATMs, they exited the casino through
18:00the side entrance to meet Heather at the pickup point they agreed on, but they were stunned
18:04when they didn't see her or the van.
18:07At first, they assumed that she had either gotten lost, been struck in traffic, or got
18:13into an accident.
18:15Steve thought that she might be still at the drop-off spot, so they went back to the basement
18:19entrance where Heather dropped them off, but there was no sign of her or the van.
18:25Stranded at the casino, Scott and Steve called their office.
18:29Another armored van picked them up.
18:31They searched the area, but found no trace of Heather or the van.
18:35They tried to contact her via radio and cell phone, but received no response.
18:40So they decided to call the police, who also searched the area with no luck.
18:45Initially, they believed that she had been abducted.
18:48Still, when they retrieved security footage from the casino, the take showed Heather driving
18:54away from the casino and going past the spot where she was supposed to pick up her partners.
19:00It revealed no sign that she had been kidnapped.
19:03Ultimately, the police concluded that she had fled by design with $3 million in cash.
19:09One hour later after the heist, every single police car in Las Vegas was looking for Heather
19:15and the armored truck she had stolen.
19:17Meanwhile, Heather had already reached the garage they had rented before the heist, where
19:22Solace was waiting for her.
19:24As Heather entered the armored truck into the garage, Solace quickly closed the door
19:28behind her.
19:30At this particular moment, Heather noticed that Solace's character suddenly changed
19:35from that loving man who supported her gently to that leader who gave orders and instructions
19:40that should be followed.
19:41First, he took her gun and asked her to change her clothes.
19:46Solace knew that once the police were informed of the stolen armored truck, they would be
19:50looking for someone dressed in the same outfit as Heather, and they might even spread her
19:55picture in media outlets.
19:57Solace was meticulous in his planning, and knew that every detail mattered in executing
20:02the perfect heist.
20:04So, he had planned for this before and decided that after taking the armored truck to the
20:08garage, Heather would be disguised as an elderly woman in a wheelchair with a grey wig and
20:14bogus glasses.
20:16This way, they would be able to evade detection and avoid suspicion while making their getaway.
20:22Solace was confident that his careful planning would ensure their escape without a hitch.
20:27Heather changed her clothes and put on her grey wig before she joined Solace, who was
20:32emptying the bags of money.
20:34The money was in stacks, stacks of twenties, fifties, and hundreds, vacuum-sealed so they
20:41were like perfect bricks ready to be transported.
20:45They'd put them in quite big boxes and loaded them in the car's trunk.
20:49Heather and Solace were doing this as fast as they could.
20:53The whole process passed in seconds because they were running against time, the police
20:58were looking for them, and they needed to make a quick getaway before they were caught.
21:03The adrenaline was pumping as they worked efficiently to finish the task at hand and
21:08disappear without a trace.
21:10They were focused to the point that they didn't talk much, communicating only through
21:14glances and hand signals.
21:17The situation's urgency kept them silent, each knowing what needed to be done to escape
21:22undetected.
21:24With all the money packed in boxes and loaded in the car, Solace and Heather were ready
21:28to go.
21:29Solace was driving, and Heather was down in the footwell of the passenger seat.
21:34Solace was planning to escape by plane, and they couldn't take the boxes with them.
21:39So Solace parked next to a post office, got out of the car, and went to mail the boxes
21:45to a safe location where they could retrieve them later.
21:49Meanwhile, Heather was trying to put contact lenses in her eyes to change her appearance
21:53before they boarded the plane.
21:55Then they headed to the airport.
21:57On their way, police cars, sirens, and helicopters whirring were almost everywhere.
22:02Despite the chaos, Solace remained calm and focused on safely getting them to the airport.
22:09Asking Heather to keep her head down to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
22:13With all these sounds of helicopters above her head, Heather realized that her life as
22:18a fugitive had begun.
22:20A week earlier, Solace had chartered a private jet to fly them.
22:24So when they arrived at the airport, the jet was already waiting for them on the tarmac,
22:29ready to take them to their next destination.
22:32A steward was also waiting with a wheelchair for Heather, who was disguising herself as
22:36an elderly woman to avoid suspicion.
22:40Solace had thought of every detail to ensure their safe passage without raising any alarms.
22:45Then they headed to Denver, Colorado.
22:48Meanwhile, the police were searching the surroundings of the casino for any sign of their whereabouts.
22:54Unaware that they had already left the state, Solace and Heather breathed a sigh of relief
22:59as they boarded the jet, knowing they had successfully evaded capture for now.
23:05And stealing hard currency from a casino is considered a federal crime.
23:09The case was shared with the FBI, who would now be leading the investigation to track
23:14down Solace and Heather.
23:16The case was assigned to an FBI special agent named Job Dusik, known for his expertise in
23:22tracking down fugitives.
23:24With his reputation on the line, Agent Dusik was determined to bring Solace and Heather
23:29to justice no matter where they fled.
23:32Agent Dusik, along with Las Vegas Police Department detectives, started working on
23:37the case immediately, coordinating efforts to gather evidence and track down leads.
23:43The first thing they did was go to the apartment building where Heather was supposedly living.
23:48They got up to the room and kicked the door down, only to find it empty with no sign of
23:53Heather or Solace.
23:55They found much stuff scattered all over the place, an altar where many weird things were
24:00put on.
24:01It was like some form of devil worship or satanic cult.
24:04They also found many books on travel destinations.
24:08The FBI agents assumed that some of the found evidence was intended to throw them off the
24:12trail.
24:13Maybe those pieces of evidence weren't real evidence, and it was perhaps just a setup
24:18to give the fugitives more time to escape.
24:21As they continued searching the room, they found a closet with only one shirt hanging
24:26on, and it was Loomis' uniform shirt.
24:30Two hours after the heist, Solace and Heather's private jet landed in Denver.
24:36They got off the plane, hopped in a car waiting for them, and left the airport immediately.
24:42Then Solace and Heather went to the motel, where they had put some clothes a week before
24:46the heist.
24:48They quickly changed their disguise clothes, making sure not to draw attention to themselves,
24:53and left the motel as fast as possible.
24:56On the other side, the FBI agents felt tied because of the lack of leads in the case,
25:02unsure of where Solace and Heather could have gone.
25:05They were trying to gather any information that could lead them to the fugitives before
25:09they disappeared completely.
25:11The clock was ticking, and the pressure was on for the FBI agents to track down Solace
25:16and Heather before they vanished into thin air.
25:20At this moment, Agent Duszek felt that he had to get the word out as much as he could
25:24to increase the chances of someone recognizing the fugitives.
25:28So he decided to issue a public appeal for information on Solace and Heather, hoping
25:34it would generate new leads and help capture them.
25:37Besides, he contacted other agencies, such as metro and bus stations.
25:42He also went to the FAA at McCarran International Airport, and went through around 1,800 flights,
25:49and found one private jet that had departed around the same time Solace and Heather disappeared.
25:54Duszek immediately began investigating further, hoping this could be the breakthrough he needed
26:00to track down the fugitives.
26:02Agent Duszek, along with other FBI agents, reached out to the private jet's pilot and
26:08asked him about Heather because, up to now, they had no idea about Solace.
26:14The pilot actually remembered her, and told them that she was with another man, and she
26:19looked like an elderly woman with gray hair, and she could barely move in her wheelchair.
26:24The agents now knew that Heather, the 21-year-old girl, was disguising herself as an elderly
26:31woman with a gray wig.
26:33At this moment, Heather's pictures and heist made the headline news across the country,
26:39and became at the top of the FBI's most-wanted list.
26:42After Solace and Heather had left the motel, a taxi took them to the train station, where
26:48they boarded the train to St. Louis, and then to New Orleans.
26:52Heather went to a shop to buy some clothes, and then they both headed to Miami.
26:56Two days after the heist, Solace and Heather were in Miami, and a taxi took them to a motel.
27:03On their way, Heather heard the driver say,
27:06Wow, you two got away with it.
27:09Heather told Solace about what she heard and asked him to leave that place immediately
27:13before they were caught.
27:15Solace tried to calm her down and told her that she was just being paranoid.
27:19However, she kept saying that she was sure that she heard him mumble it, but Solace was
27:24continually calming her down, assuring her that they were safe and there was nothing
27:29to worry about.
27:31The next day, Solace went to retrieve the money while Heather stayed in the motel room.
27:36A few hours later, Solace returned with all the money they stole from the armored truck.
27:41Heather was relieved to see Solace return safely and with the money.
27:46They took the money out of the plastic bags and made it like a pile, and she lay on it,
27:51feeling a sense of accomplishment and relief.
27:54Solace smiled at her, grateful that they had successfully pulled off the heist without
27:58any issues.
28:00Afterward, they filled up two large suitcases with the money and began planning their next
28:05move to avoid getting caught.
28:08Solace left the motel room with the money, leaving Heather behind and instructing her
28:13not to leave the room for any reason.
28:15It was starting to hit the news, and she needed to lay low for a while.
28:20All the mass media outlets were reporting on the daring robbery that had taken place
28:24and sharing Heather's picture along with a reward for any information leading to her
28:29capture.
28:30Heather watched Solace go, feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety about their next steps.
28:36She knew they had to be careful to avoid attracting any unwanted attention from the authorities.
28:42The FBI agents, under the direction of Special Agent Dushik, had finally found a lead to
28:47pursue ten days after the heist.
28:51Following the viral broadcast of Heather's photo across the media, a man called in and
28:56said that he rented a warehouse to a couple and believed that it was them.
29:00The FBI agents quickly went and got into that warehouse and found the stolen armored
29:06truck there.
29:08After collecting fingerprints and sending them to the FBI Identification Division, it
29:12turned out that the fingerprints belonged to Heather Tallchief and Roberto Solace.
29:17The FBI had finally identified the perpetrators of the crime and began working on tracking
29:22down their whereabouts.
29:24With this breakthrough, the FBI was closer to bringing Heather Tallchief and Roberto
29:29Solace to justice for their crimes.
29:33Now, after the identity of Heather's accomplice has been revealed, the FBI agents began inspecting
29:39his criminal history.
29:40And that's when they discovered all that we had previously mentioned.
29:44They found out that Solace had been imprisoned before for an attempted armed robbery and
29:49had a history of violence.
29:51This new information added a sense of urgency to the FBI's search for the fugitives.
29:56They had also learned that one of the skills this person learned in prison was how to manipulate
30:01people and given the fact that Heather was young, vulnerable, and easily influenced,
30:07they knew this guy might be just using the young girl as a pawn in his criminal activities.
30:12They assumed that why would he share $3.1 million if he could keep it all for himself,
30:18not only from a greed standpoint, but also because she is a witness.
30:23And based on Solace's criminal history, they knew he was going to kill her after getting
30:28the money.
30:29This realization made it even more crucial for the FBI to locate and apprehend Solace
30:35before he could potentially harm Heather or involve her in any dangerous situations.
30:41With this new find, Solace and Heather's pictures began to appear in most TV shows
30:46and news, asking the public to come forward with any information they may have regarding
30:51the Covell's whereabouts.
30:53The media coverage of their disappearance sparked a nationwide search effort, with volunteers
30:59and law enforcement agencies working together to locate Solace and Heather.
31:03However, Solace, with all this happening and everyone looking for them, is still focused
31:08and calm.
31:10As for Heather, she was scared and anxious, constantly worrying about their safety and
31:15whether they would ever be found.
31:18At the same time, she was afraid of him.
31:21She began wondering if she presented a threat to him, would she be disposable?
31:26At the time, both Solace and Heather couldn't go out in public without being recognized,
31:31adding to the pressure of their situation.
31:33So Solace befriended another girl named Marlene to help them.
31:37The girl would go buy them what they wanted from stores while they stayed hidden.
31:42This arrangement allowed Solace and Heather to remain out of sight while still getting
31:46the supplies they needed to survive.
31:48Indeed, the girl served them greatly because she could do things they couldn't, like
31:53blending in with the public without drawing attention.
31:56Eventually, Marlene's assistance became crucial to Solace and Heather's survival
32:01in their unstable situation.
32:03However, the fact that another girl, who was younger than her, was with Solace made Heather
32:08jealous a bit of her.
32:10As already mentioned, Heather loved Solace deeply and felt a twinge of jealousy whenever
32:16he showed affection to someone else.
32:19Despite this, Marlene's help was indispensable, and Heather had to swallow her pride for the
32:24sake of their survival.
32:25So Solace and Marlene took the suitcases of money and flew on a private jet to St. Martin,
32:32leaving Heather alone in the motel room.
32:35The FBI agents knew that $3.1 million in cash would be very difficult for them to carry,
32:42and it would take 8-10 suitcases to transport it all at once because it weighed a lot.
32:47So they contacted UPS and the post office and found out that the couple had mailed some
32:53boxes before they left Las Vegas.
32:56They traced the packages and where they were sent to.
32:59Eventually, they made arrangements to fly to Miami, Florida.
33:03This was one month after the heist.
33:05At this moment, Solace and Marlene had already left Miami, but Heather stayed on her own
33:11in the motel room, not doing anything, just laying on the bed or watching TV.
33:17She was a bit bored and feeling lonely.
33:19But given the fact that she was in Miami with disposable income, she decided to make the
33:25most of her time there by exploring the city and treating herself to some shopping and
33:30dining experiences.
33:32Despite feeling lonely, Heather was determined to enjoy her time in Miami and make the best
33:37of the situation.
33:39She also wanted to get a haircut, so she went to the hairdresser, and the latter told her
33:44that she couldn't cut her hair because she had a show that night.
33:47Then she asked Heather if she would like to go to the show with her.
33:50Forgetting being a fugitive and intrigued by the offer, Heather agreed to accompany
33:55the hairdresser to the show, eager for a new experience and a chance to enjoy her time
34:00in Miami.
34:02While Heather was in the show, the FBI agents got information that they rented a room in
34:06a motel, so they went there to see if they were still there or not.
34:11Unfortunately, by the time they arrived at the motel, Heather had already checked out
34:16and was enjoying her time in the motel, leaving the FBI agents frustrated with their inability
34:22to apprehend her.
34:23Two months had passed since the heist, and Heather and Solace were still on the run.
34:29Solace and Marlene were in St. Martin in the Caribbean Sea, while Heather was still in
34:33Miami trying to evade capture by constantly changing her whereabouts.
34:38One day, Solace reached out to Heather and told her he had a rental in St. Martin.
34:44He sent her the address.
34:46Indeed, Heather joined Solace and Marlene in St. Martin.
34:50She went to the address Solace had given her and found Solace and Marlene together enjoying
34:55the Caribbean sun.
34:57Although Heather knew that Marlene's existence was crucial, she was jealous of her closeness
35:02with Solace and the attention he was giving her.
35:05However, Marlene soon left and went back to Miami, leaving Heather alone with Solace.
35:12Despite her initial jealousy, Heather found herself enjoying the time she spent with Solace
35:16in St. Martin, feeling grateful for his help and support during her time on the run.
35:22Solace and Heather were fugitives, and on top of the FBI's Most Wanted list, and based
35:27on Solace's criminal history, he wasn't the kind of criminal who would surrender himself
35:32easily.
35:33On the contrary, he would prefer to die than go back to prison.
35:38He was ready to resist arrest at all costs.
35:41Despite the odds stacked against them, Solace and Heather were determined to evade capture
35:47and continue living life on the run.
35:50For this reason, they bought a substantial amount of firearms, and Solace began teaching
35:55Heather how to shoot an AK-47 with precision and accuracy.
36:00He knew that their only chance of survival was to be prepared for any situation that
36:04may arise during their time on the run.
36:07Heather, despite being in doubt if she really could pull the trigger on another person,
36:12knew that to protect themselves and stay free, she would need to be willing to defend their
36:16lives if necessary.
36:18Solace assured her that it was a matter of survival, and that they needed to be prepared
36:23for anything that came their way.
36:25Heather, being a fugitive, kept herself hidden in a villa in St. Martin while Solace was
36:31trying to find a way to get any fake documents for them, a passport, a birth certificate,
36:37or citizenship.
36:38They knew that their only chance of escape was to create new identities that would allow
36:42them to leave the country undetected.
36:45With Solace's connections, she was hopeful that they would be able to pull it off without
36:50getting caught.
36:51At that time, Heather discovered that she was pregnant, adding a new layer of pressure
36:56to their situation.
36:58Heather was very confused.
37:00She didn't know what she had to do.
37:02She couldn't believe that the 21-year-old girl was now expecting a baby.
37:07She was ready to die, but never to give birth to a baby, especially in their current predicament.
37:13The news of the pregnancy only intensified their urgency to successfully create new identities
37:19and flee the country before it was too late.
37:22Indeed, the couple was thinking of where to go and getting some passports, and then Solace
37:27somehow hit on a Dutch agency that could provide some documents.
37:32Then he began searching for countries that wouldn't extradite them to the United States,
37:36and the Netherlands was, at that time, a safe haven for them.
37:41So they made plans to go to Amsterdam.
37:45The couple settled down in Amsterdam, where they were able to immerse themselves in the
37:49rich culture and history of the city.
37:52About eight months after the heist, Heather gave birth to a baby boy in one of Amsterdam's
37:57hospitals.
37:58Then they had a birth certificate written in Dutch with the name Emilio Martin, whose
38:03mother was Tony Martin, and they didn't put the name of the father.
38:09At that time, the couple had no plans.
38:12They were living minute by minute, trying to figure out what was next for their new
38:16family in a foreign country.
38:18Heather, being a mom, started seeing things in a different way.
38:22For her, it was no longer about Solace and his plans, but about creating a safe and stable
38:28future for her son.
38:30She knew they needed to find a way to provide for their family and build a life in Amsterdam,
38:35away from the criminal world they had once been a part of.
38:38While the couple was trying to navigate their new reality in Amsterdam, the FBI agents in
38:43the United States were still receiving fake information from people who were tempted by
38:48the reward the FBI was offering for information on the couple's whereabouts.
38:53The FBI began to lose hope of ever catching Heather and her accomplice because of the
38:58lack of leads and false information being provided.
39:01Usually, cases that go on for more than 24 months, especially those involving international
39:07fugitives, tend to become cold and more difficult to solve.
39:12The FBI faced a daunting challenge in trying to track down Heather and her partner as they
39:17seemed to have vanished without a trace.
39:20Time passed, and in 1995, about 18 months after the heist, Solace went back to Street
39:27Martin to tie up some things because the money was still there.
39:31And when he came back, he brought another new woman.
39:35As mentioned before, Heather loved Solace deeply, and she thought he loved her too.
39:41But at that particular moment, she realized that she was just a tool for him to use in
39:46his criminal activities and that he no longer loved her or that he never did.
39:51Maybe she was fooling herself.
39:53This realization was a harsh blow to Heather, who had been blinded by love and loyalty to
39:59Solace and shattered her heart, and she knew she had to make a difficult decision about
40:04her future with Solace.
40:07Heather decided that she would take her son and figure it out in Amsterdam, far away from
40:12the toxic environment that Solace had created.
40:15She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she was determined to find a new beginning for herself
40:20and her child.
40:21When she confronted Solace and told him her decision, Solace didn't show any resistance
40:27or remorse.
40:28He had no questions and didn't care about her or the child, confirming Heather's belief
40:33that leaving was the right choice.
40:35With a heavy heart but a sense of relief, Heather began making plans for their fresh
40:40start in Amsterdam, ready to leave behind the pain and betrayal she had endured.
40:46Heather, when she decided to leave Solace and begin a new chapter in her life with her
40:51son, had some money with which she was paying for rent, buying formula and diapers for her
40:57son, and covering other basic necessities.
41:01However, it wasn't enough.
41:03She knew that in order to secure a stable future for her family, she needed to find
41:08a job and increase her income.
41:11Heather, being a mom, wouldn't be able to work a nine-hour shift, so the best job she
41:17found that made perfect sense for her situation was escorting.
41:21She could work flexible hours, she was going to get paid well in a short period of time,
41:26and still have time to take care of her son.
41:29Despite the stigma associated with the profession, Heather knew it was the best option for her
41:34at that moment in her life.
41:37At that time, Heather's major concern was how to get her son a normal childhood, and
41:42she was willing to do whatever it took to provide for him.
41:45So, through a friend of her friend, she managed to get British passports for her and her son.
41:51And at that point, the lives of Dylan and Donna Eaton began.
41:56But the problem she had was that she had only ten years until the passports expired,
42:01and so her false identity.
42:03However, Heather got caught up in everyday life, and she got more concerned with getting
42:08him to school and ensuring he had a stable home environment.
42:12Suddenly, a man came into their lives and adopted both of them, Heather and her son.
42:19They were like a pre-packaged or instant family, and Heather was happy with their new life,
42:25her hiding was in plain sight.
42:27Time passed.
42:28In 2000s, seven years after the heist, Heather was still doing her best to adapt herself
42:34to her new identity in life, but she was stuck having to be somebody that she was not, stuck
42:39to living in a false reality that made her most of the time unhappy.
42:44She longed for the freedom to be herself and to live without the constant fear of being
42:48discovered.
42:50Despite the stability of her new family, Heather yearned for a life where she could truly be
42:55herself, and leave her past behind.
42:58Time was ticking, their passports would soon expire and must be renewed.
43:02What would she do next?
43:04Would she look for the real Donna and ask her to renew the passports, or seek another
43:09fake one?
43:10But how long should she keep telling her son that they were going to change their names
43:13again?
43:15Heather was stuck in a life that wasn't real, and she was just tired of constantly looking
43:19over her shoulder.
43:21She knew she needed to make a decision soon before the facade crumbled around her.
43:26Eventually, in 2005, after being on the run for 12 years, Heather decided to turn herself
43:32into authorities.
43:34She was tired of living in fear and wanted to face the consequences of her actions.
43:39For this reason, she reached out to an attorney in the United States by sending him a letter
43:44in which she said that she would be needing his legal representation for her upcoming
43:49surrender and court proceedings.
43:51Such cases lured every criminal lawyer, so he agreed to take on her case and began working
43:57on a strategy to help Heather navigate the legal system and potentially mitigate the
44:02consequences of her past decisions.
44:05The first thing the lawyer thought about was how to get Heather back into the country,
44:09surrender, and have her serve the least time possible while also ensuring that she received
44:14a fair trial.
44:16At that point, Heather didn't care much about what would happen to her, but what would
44:20happen to her son was crucially important to her.
44:23So, she made it clear to her lawyer that her primary motivation for considering surrendering
44:29and facing prosecution was to get citizenship for her son to have a normal life as an American
44:34citizen.
44:36Within a short time, the lawyer got her a plan in place to prioritize her son's citizenship
44:41while also working towards minimizing her sentence.
44:45The lawyer planned that Heather would come to the United States and he would surrender
44:49her in Las Vegas, the city where the crime had been committed.
44:53The lawyer believed that this strategy would result in a more lenient sentence for Heather
44:58as she would be cooperating with authorities.
45:01The fact that she would do it on her own would show a willingness to take responsibility
45:05for her actions and potentially earn her favor with the judge during sentencing.
45:11Additionally, the lawyer hoped that by showing initiative in surrendering herself would
45:16demonstrate remorse and help build a stronger case for a reduced sentence.
45:22The risk in this plan was that she could get captured by authorities before reaching the
45:26U.S., which would complicate her legal situation even further.
45:30However, the lawyer believed that the benefits of Heather surrendering herself voluntarily
45:35outweighed the potential risks, as it could ultimately lead to a more favorable outcome
45:40in her legal proceedings, so it was worth the risk.
45:44Before heading to the U.S., Heather began to prepare herself for her son's separation.
45:49It was very difficult for her to leave him behind because she had no idea how long it
45:54would take her to see him again.
45:56Despite the emotional difficulty, Heather knew that this sacrifice was necessary for
46:01their future together.
46:03She knew that facing the consequences of her actions was necessary for both of their futures.
46:08She made sure to explain to him that she loved him and would do everything she could to make
46:13things right.
46:15On September 15, 2005, Heather landed in the U.S. with a heavy heart, but a determined
46:21spirit ready to start the process of surrendering herself to the authorities and facing the
46:27legal consequences of her actions.
46:29She knew that this was the first step towards rebuilding their future together, no matter
46:34how challenging it may be.
46:36Heather came back to the U.S. with a British passport, so during the checkout procedures,
46:42she was imitating the British accent she had practiced for weeks.
46:46Fortunately for her, she passed all the security checks without any issues and exited the airport,
46:53where she met with her lawyer.
46:54Immediately, the lawyer took Heather to the federal court, where she could officially
46:59turn herself in and begin the legal proceedings.
47:02Heather felt a mix of nerves and relief, as she knew this was the right thing to do for
47:07herself and her family.
47:09Heather expressed her relief after taking this step, and she felt like she had won a
47:13small victory in facing her mistakes head-on.
47:16She was ready to accept the consequences of her actions and start making amends.
47:22Heather told the authorities that she turned herself in because she was tired of hiding
47:26and living on the run and wanted Dylan to have a normal life.
47:30She said she had waited to turn herself in until that point because she wanted to make
47:35sure he was taken care of and that he understood the crime she was accused of.
47:40Heather didn't care much about how long she would be imprisoned because after surrendering
47:44herself, she had a sense of freedom and a clear conscience that she hadn't felt in
47:49a long time.
47:51Heather was determined to use her time in prison to reflect, learn, and grow as a person
47:56so that she could come out stronger on the other side.
48:00Heather's lawyer said that she was facing charges that involved several counts of embezzlement,
48:05bank fraud, bank robbery, interstate flight to avoid prosecution, false statements, and
48:11interstate transportation, and using of a firearm.
48:15With these charges, Heather could easily be sentenced to 20 or 25 years in prison,
48:21but her lawyer was hoping that prosecutors would go easy on her as she turned herself
48:26involuntarily.
48:27After Heather's sentence hearing, she pleaded guilty to two counts of embezzlement and one
48:33count of obtaining a false passport, ultimately receiving a reduced sentence of five years
48:38in prison.
48:40Despite the severity of her charges, Heather's cooperation and acceptance of responsibility
48:45played a significant role in the outcome of her case.
48:49On June 1, 2010, Heather was released from prison after serving five years.
48:55She then spent another five years under probation, during which she worked to rebuild her life
49:00and reputation.
49:02Despite the challenges she faced, Heather was determined to make amends for her past
49:06mistakes and move forward positively.
49:09As for Roberto Solis, he remains at large and is still wanted by the FBI.
49:15We have come to the end of our story.
49:19See you in the next video.
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