Smash-and-grab burglar hits 10 Monroe businesses; suspect on the loose

MONROE, Wash. -- Police are looking for a smash-and-grab burglar who hit 10 businesses in a Monroe strip mall overnight Thursday.

Early Friday morning, police received burglary reports from multiple businesses in the mall located between State Route 522 and Old Owen Road, Monroe police said.

Ten businesses had windows smashed, and multiple reported cash was stolen from registers.



“I was pretty mad when I found out about it,” said Gi Lee.

Lee works at his family’s business Kami Teriyaki and Sushi.  The crook smashed the glass in the front of his parent’s business and broke the cash register inside.

“Terrible; I’m kind of disappointed about it,” said Mike Sipp. “I don’t know why people have to do something like this,” he added.

Sipp says he’ll drive out nearly a half hour to eat at Kami.

He says he loves the food and the people, and it’s breaks his heart someone would do this to this family.

“Nothing is safe anymore,” he said.

Police say this crook or crooks got some cash from these stores, but mainly these businesses are just dealing with the damage.

Surveillance video showed a single man with a covered face, wearing a hoodie and jeans smashing the windows and looking for cash.

Anyone who has information in the case is encouraged to call the Monore Police Department at 360-794-6300.