Tacoma police ask public to be careful after string of 8 armed ATM robberies

Tacoma police are investigating eight recent armed robberies at outdoor ATMs believed to be related. Police said Tuesday that people should be especially aware of their surroundings while using the machines.

Police said victims have been robbed at gunpoint while withdrawing money from ATMs in two locations in the last two weeks. According to a news release issued by Tacoma Police Department, seven occurred at a stand-alone ATM at 7030 Pacific Ave., and one occurred at a machine outside of a Grocery Outlet at 3510 S. 56th St.

It’s unclear whether anyone was physically harmed in the robberies. Police said the incidents typically involved two suspects, both described as men in their 20s with average height and build. A possible suspect vehicle was described as a dark-colored sedan.

Detectives believe the suspects are targeting outdoor ATMs and watching victims before committing the crimes.

Anyone with information about the robberies was asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Peter Talbot

The News Tribune

Peter Talbot is a criminal justice reporter for The News Tribune. He started with the newspaper in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at NPR in Washington, D.C. He also interned for the Oregonian and the Tampa Bay Times. Support my work with a digital subscription