Gig Harbor police arrest man suspected in thefts, armed robbery at department store
A 29-year-old man suspected of an armed robbery in Gig Harbor and several other thefts was arrested Wednesday after detectives lured him to a “neutral location” to take him into custody, police said.
The Covington man was booked into Pierce County Jail for investigation of second-degree robbery, first-degree theft and trafficking in stolen property, according to Gig Harbor Police Department.
Police said detectives are coordinating with investigators in Kitsap County to add additional charges for crimes they suspect he committed Tuesday in Silverdale.
The armed robbery occurred at about 1 p.m. Wednesday when a man entered a department store and asked to purchase two cell phones, according to Gig Harbor police. When the phones were provided, the man kept a hand under his coat and told the clerk he had a gun.
Police said the robber directed the clerk to open a display case, and the man took two laptops from it. The robber told the clerk not to intervene, and the man left the store through a fire exit before fleeing as a passenger in an SUV. According to police, the man police eventually arrested committed a similar crime Tuesday at a department store in Silverdale.
Detectives located the robbery suspect in Federal Way using “open-source information” according to a Facebook post from Gig Harbor police. Detectives lured the man to a neutral location to “purchase” stolen items. When the man arrived at 6 p.m., detectives identified themselves. Police said the man tried to flee, but detectives got the man in custody.
Police said the man is also a suspect in multiple thefts throughout Puget Sound.
This story was originally published June 10, 2022 at 8:13 AM.
