Renton Police: Serial robbery suspect held parents at gunpoint in front of young son
RENTON, Wash. - A man accused of multiple armed robberies in the span of just 20 minutes has been arrested and booked into jail.
According to Renton Police, the first robbery occurred around 5:40 p.m. on Aug. 15 at an outside ATM at Chase Bank on Logan Ave. S. The victim told officers that he was withdrawing money from the ATM when he noticed a man in a ski mask cut the line and stand directly behind him.
When the victim got his money out of the ATM, the man behind him pointed a gun at him and demanded the cash. The suspect hopped in a vehicle that sped off.
Officers later learned that a woman was also robbed at an ATM in the front of the bank
Just before 6 p.m., officers responded to reports of a second armed robbery in the 300 block of Bremerton Ave. NE, which is about three miles from the first scene. The victims were in their vehicle, having just picked up their son from daycare when the suspect approached them with a ski mask on and pointed a gun at them. The suspect demanded cash.
He told the woman in the passenger's seat to look downward and threatened that he "didn't want to do something" in front of their child. The suspect ran off with the driver's wallet and the passenger's purse.
Numerous officers converged on the area to search for the suspect and the vehicle.
Around 6:03 p.m., an officer found an unoccupied white Ford sedan right across the street from the second robbery. The vehicle matched the description given by the victims.
Then, the officer saw a man who matched the suspect description come around the corner of the building. The suspect saw the officer and ran off, leading to a chase.
The suspect was later apprehended after being questioned by officers and having the victims positively identify him. He was booked into the King County Jail and is being held on $500,000 bond.
Anyone with information about this series of robberies is asked to email Detective Onishi at ronishi@rentonwa.gov.