Woman sexually assaulted, robbed near Chuck-E-Cheese by Tacoma Mall, police say

A woman was sexually assaulted and robbed near 48th Street and Tacoma Mall Boulevard on Saturday morning and the suspect has not yet been apprehended, police said.

Around 11:30 a.m., Tacoma Police headed to the 4900 block of Tacoma Mall Boulevard in response to a reported robbery. When officers arrived at the site, the adult female who made the 911 call said she had been robbed and sexually assaulted.

She did not know the suspect, who remains at large, police said.

The scene was scoped by technicians, and detectives are investigating the case.

“At this point we don’t have a lot of extra information,” Det. William Muse told The News Tribune Saturday afternoon, shortly after an official press release was shared with the public.

“The victim did not know the suspect,” he confirmed. She was in her car in the parking lot when the suspect approached her, “forcibly” taking some of her personal property and sexually assaulting her “in the process.”

Police are in the process of confirming some details and will release further information when available, Muse said.

The incident occurred just south of Tacoma Mall on the west side of the boulevard, which runs parallel to Interstate 5. The parking lot is near budget hotel Extended Stay America and across the street from Chuck-E-Cheese.

In an October analysis of crime data related to commercial zones in Tacoma, the 4500 block of South Steele Street — the center of the mall — was found to have the highest number of reported larceny thefts. More than 3,600 crimes have been reported in connection with this block since 2018.