SAN FERNANDO : Woman, 66, Charged With Wielding Gun at Bank

Misdemeanor charges were filed Tuesday against a San Fernando woman accused of accosting a teller at gunpoint over $242, the amount of a Social Security check that she says should have been automatically deposited into her account.

Leona Vanatta, 66, who could not be reached for comment, posted $30,000 bail and was released Tuesday pending trial on charges of brandishing a weapon and carrying a concealed weapon. Those charges carry a maximum penalty of a year in jail.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Phil Halpin said misdemeanor charges were filed because the woman took only money that she believed should be in her account.

A representative of the Social Security Administration said checks to all 4.8 million California residents who are eligible for assistance were mailed or transferred last week.

Vanatta was arrested Friday morning after she allegedly pulled out a 9-millimeter handgun and demanded her Social Security money at a branch of Trans World Bank. The teller had told her that no funds were in her account but gave her the $242 after she pulled the gun, police said.