Pierce County sheriff’s deputies have arrested four adults and were searching for another after a Point Fosdick espresso stand was robbed at gunpoint Tuesday.

Three men and a woman were booked into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery charges, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said Wednesday.

The robbery at Harbor Brew Espresso in the 1900 block of Point Fosdick Drive in Gig Harbor occurred about 4:40 p.m. Tuesday when a man wearing a black mask showed a gun and demanded cash from the register, Troyer said.

The robber took money from the till and the tips jar, then fled. A barista called 911. A Washington State Patrol trooper in the area heard the call and saw two men running from the area of the espresso stand and detained them, Troyer said.

Meanwhile, deputies and a police dog arrived at the stand.

The two men initially said they’d seen the robbery and ran because they were scared. Deputies determined the stories did not add up and believe the men were lookouts for the robber, Troyer said.

“They all got separated running away,” he said.

The men, both 21, were arrested.

A 20-year-old woman was arrested early Wednesday and booked into the jail in connection with the robbery.

The suspected robber was arrested later Wednesday.

Deputies believe they have identified another woman involved in the scheme and were searching for her.

The robbery was the latest in a string of crimes carried out by young adults in the Gig Harbor area. Deputies have investigated residential burglaries, credit card frauds and stolen property reports in recent months, Troyer said.

“It is becoming an issue out there,” he said. “The common denominators are, these are young adults, 18 to 23 years old, and drugs.”

The thieves are committing the crimes to buy methamphetamine and Oxycontin, Troyer added.

Stacey Mulick: 253-597-8268

stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com

blog.thenewstribune.com/crime