LYNNWOOD — Quick police work led to arrests in two Lynnwood robberies Monday evening.
In one case, Lynnwood police were in hot pursuit in their patrol cars. In the other, they followed clues pulled from surveillance video right to the suspect’s house, barely an hour after the crime.
The case built on surveillance tape began about 3:20 p.m. in the parking lot outside the Target store in the 18300 block of Alderwood Mall Parkway. A woman, 80, told police a man had taken her wallet and pushed her to the ground. The robber then ran to his car and drove away.
A Lynnwood police officer reviewed store surveillance footage and was able to obtain a photo of the suspect and his license plate number.
With those clues, police went to the man’s apartment in the 4400 block of 176th Street SW. At about 4:20 p.m. they knocked on the door and phoned inside. Somebody picked up the phone but did not speak before hanging up, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Everett District Court. Whoever was inside the apartment didn’t answer again as more calls were placed and the minutes ticked by.
A neighbor was shown a photo of the robbery suspect. He said it looked like the man, 35, who lived in the apartment. Just before 5 p.m. the suspect’s wife came home and persuaded him to come outside. He declined to speak with officers. A search warrant was obtained and the victim’s wallet reportedly was found inside the car.
About an hour later, police were called to the Alderwood Sears store after a man who was reportedly trying to steal tools began throwing punches when confronted.
The ruckus spilled over into the parking lot where the suspect climbed into a van and nearly ran over witnesses, including a woman who filmed the incident on her phone, a police affidavit said.
Witnesses were able to get the van’s license plate number. Police spotted the van stuck in nearby traffic. As they converged, the suspect drove up on a curb to sped away.
The chase wound up on I-5 and I-405 for about seven miles. The suspect reached speeds of up to 80 mph as he weaved through commuter traffic, according to police.
The pursuit ended when the van exited at Beardslee Boulevard in Bothell. A Lynnwood officer used his patrol car to bump the van, causing it to spin out and stall.
The suspect, a Bainbridge Island man who turns 39 later this month, climbed out with his hands in the air. He was booked into jail for investigation of robbery, assault, attempting to elude police and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Scott North: 425-339-3431; north@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snorthnews
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