Seattle police need ID's of three strong-armed thugs who robbed Fred Meyer

WANTED IN SEATTLE -- Seattle police say what started out as an innocent purchase of a toy -- turned into a triple strong-armed robbery at the Fred Meyer in Ballard.

Retired Det. Myrle Carner with Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound takes us through the crime. “What we have here is a strong-armed robbery. There’s three suspects involved. The first suspect enters the store, picks up a toy, and walks over to the cashier on duty, engages in conversation and lays the toy down. Naturally, the clerk turns to engage in the conversation. At this time, suspect #2 approaches from the other side and starts grabbing the cash from the till. So there’s a struggle and store security gets involved. When the store security guy approaches the suspect, a third suspect appears and shoves the store security guard out of the way. Then, all three suspects flee the store with the cash.”

The best look of the suspects is the third guy in the blue sweatshirt, who assaulted the security guard. If you recognize them, call an anonymous tip into: CRIME STOPPERS: 1-800-222-TIPS You must call the Crime Stoppers hotline with your tip to be eligible to receive a cash reward for information leading to a fugitive’s arrest. CLICK HERE for information on how to TEXT A TIP to Crime Stoppers