Kent police: Armed robbery suspect hides in house, officers use flock cameras
KENT, Wash. - A robbery suspect was arrested Sunday morning following a tense standoff involving multiple law enforcement agencies and several evacuees from multiple apartment units.
Timeline:
At around 6:45 a.m. on Nov. 16, Kent Patrol Officers responded to an espresso stand in the 1700 block of Central Avenue South after receiving reports of a robbery. The victim, a 29-year-old woman from Milton, told officers that a man ordered coffee before brandishing a black gun and demanding money. She said she handed over cash from the till and the suspect fled in a white car.
Officers reviewed surveillance footage from the coffee stand and identified the suspect's vehicle license plate. Using the Flock Safety Cameras system, they tracked the vehicle heading southbound into Auburn. The car was registered to an address at a four-plex in Auburn.
Auburn Police Department officers located the suspect's vehicle parked unoccupied on the registered owner's lawn. Surveillance was set up, and multiple Kent officers arrived on the scene.
Robbery suspect spotted, nearby residents evacuated
At 8:52 a.m., APD reported seeing a man matching the suspect's description inside the unit. Officers established a safety perimeter. Kent Police reports rising concerns from officers that the situation could escalate into a hostage scenario, as the suspect was last seen armed.
Officers contacted individuals inside the suspect's unit, who evacuated safely. However, a 16-month-old child was accidentally left behind. Around this time, a woman called 911, reporting that her husband in a neighboring unit said the suspect had entered their apartment and was hiding in their closet.
Officers entered the suspect's residence and retrieved the sleeping child. They also evacuated the neighbor and his children from the unit where the suspect was hiding. Auburn officers used a PA system to urge the suspect to surrender. He eventually emerged, reportedly holding a steak knife to his throat.
Officers employed de-escalation techniques, and the suspect ultimately put down the knife and was taken into custody without further incident.
Kent detectives took over the investigation, interviewing the suspect, a 50-year-old Auburn man, who was later booked into jail for first-degree robbery.
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