STANWOOD — A man shot by police after a bank robbery in Stanwood on Tuesday also may be good for holdups in Skagit and Whatcom counties.
Investigators around the region on Thursday declined to confirm any connections to existing cases, but said they all were working together to sort it out.
The suspect, 54, of Anacortes, was wearing a long black wig when he entered the Stanwood KeyBank about 10:40 a.m. Tuesday, said Everett police officer Aaron Snell, a spokesman for the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team, which handles officer-involved shootings.
The suspect allegedly had his face covered when he brandished a small-caliber handgun and demanded cash, Snell said. The suspect had taken more than $5,000 before he was interrupted by a Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy who was in the area as part of a special patrol aimed at cracking down on bank heists.
There was a confrontation, and the man was shot multiple times as he ran from the bank and into the Haggen grocery store parking lot across the street, Snell said.
Detectives haven’t confirmed whether the man shot, too.
“They’re still working on that,” Snell said.
The man was listed Thursday in serious condition in the intensive care unit at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Police have not released the man’s name because he’s not been charged with a crime, Snell said.
A bicycle found outside the bank Tuesday was impounded as potential evidence, Snell said.
At least three serial bank robbers are believed to be operating in Snohomish County, one of whom uses a bicycle for his getaways.
In addition, police in La Conner, Mount Vernon and Bellingham all have reported bank robberies in recent months involving a suspect who used a bicycle and had long black hair.
“Our investigators are working with Snohomish County as well as investigators from Skagit and Whatcom where similar robberies occurred to see if it’s the same person responsible,” Mount Vernon police Lt. Chris Cammock said Thursday.
Investigators from throughout the region are conferring “to see if there’s any connection to any of the bank robberies,” Snell said.
Anyone with information about the Stanwood robbery is asked to call detectives at 425-257-8450.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com
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