SoCal woman throws Molotov cocktail into bank after waiting in line ‘too long’

LOS ANGELES - A South Bay woman was sentenced to federal prison this week after she threw a Molotov cocktail inside a bank in Torrance because she was so upset by how long the line was taking.

Teranee Millet, 35, of Gardena, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in March to unlawful possession of a firearm and destructive device, according to the US attorney’s office.

According to federal prosecutors, on September 20, 2021, Millet entered a Bank of America branch in Torrance. She spoke to the bank manager and demanded to be helped by another teller because she believed she had been waiting in line for too long. When the bank manager informed her that no other tellers were available and she would have to continue waiting, Millet used profane language and then yelled, "I’m going to blow this bitch up!" 

A few minutes later, Millet returned to the bank branch and threw a Molotov cocktail into the bank, causing a fire in the middle of the bank. A bank customer successfully extinguished the fire. On her way out of the bank’s parking lot and before law enforcement arrived, she threatened another customer and threw a glass bottle at the customer’s truck, causing minor damage to the vehicle, the US attorney’s office said in a statement. Police responded within a few minutes, secured the scene and recovered the item that Millet threw on the floor.

Law enforcement used bank surveillance photos to help identify Millet.

Millet was arrested in Georgia in December 2021, after she led law enforcement on a chase in a stolen U-Haul van that ended with the van crashing, according to court documents. Inside the van, law enforcement recovered a gym bag containing four packs of glass bottles with tissue paper inserted inside the bottles, a can of lighter fluid and a five-gallon can of gasoline, according to court documents. Millet sustained injuries in the crash and later received medical treatment. She has been in custody since that time.

The FBI, the Torrance Police Department, and the Torrance Fire Department investigated this case.