Within 20 minutes of a strong-armed robbery in the 1100 block 156th Ave NE, a 19-year-old suspect was in custody and on his way to jail. The suspect is accused of watching people inside a bank, then following a 75-year-old woman to her car as she exited the bank. Detectives say he grabbed the woman’s purse, knocked her to the ground, and fled. She had more than $30,000 in the purse.
Multiple officers responded immediately, spoke with the victim and witnesses, and canvassed the area. They located the suspect at a nearby apartment complex after he had ditched his bright yellow jacket and the victim’s purse in a garbage dumpster. Officers found a bank envelope with $1500 in his possession. The remaining cash was located in the discarded purse and was returned to the victim. She sustained minor injuries.
Officers set a perimeter around the apartment complex, spoke with the suspect’s father, and worked on an arrest plan. The officers effectively de-escalated the situation and successfully arrested the suspect without incident. He was booked into jail on investigation of Robbery 1st degree.
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