SNOHOMISH — An off-duty Snohomish County sheriff’s sergeant helped snare a couple of homeless heroin addicts believed to be responsible for a string of armed robberies.
The sergeant spotted the suspects’ vehicle Sunday night in a parking lot near 132nd Street SE and 35th Avenue NE in the Mill Creek area. He recognized the car from a police bulletin, sheriff’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.
The sergeant called for backup and deputies arrested the three people inside the car.
One man is suspected of holding up an Everett Safeway gas station on Nov. 13. A video camera captured the heist. He and another man also are believed to be responsible for robbing a Snohomish-area espresso stand on Saturday. The barista told police that the men pointed handguns at her and demanded money. That incident also was caught on camera.
The third person arrested Sunday told police that the men planned to use BB guns to rob businesses so they could buy heroin, according to police affidavit filed Monday in Everett District Court.
The suspects used duct tape to cover the car’s license plate in an effort to avoid identification.
The third suspect told cops she didn’t participate in planning or carrying out the robberies but was inside the vehicle and benefited from the crimes, according to court records.
She described five separate robberies in Snohomish County during the last month.
The men, 21 and 22, were booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of first-degree robbery. They declined to speak with detectives.
The car was impounded and police were expected to search it for evidence.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley
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