Bank robbery suspect arrested
Published 9:45 pm Wednesday, December 3, 2008
EVERETT — An Everett man suspected in a string of bank robberies throughout the state was arrested Tuesday night.
Federal agents and Everett police officers arrested the man, 26, about 8 p.m. near a house where he lives, in the 1500 block of Rainier Avenue in Everett, said Robbie Burroughs, a spokeswoman for the FBI.
Investigators believe the man is responsible for five, if not more, bank robberies, Burroughs said. He allegedly stole money from U.S. Bank, Washington Mutual and Cascade Bank branches, most of which were located inside grocery stores. The robberies were committed in Everett, Marysville, King County and in the area of Eugene, Ore., Oct. 25 through Nov. 25.
“Somebody who robs a bank is clearly desperate and can be very dangerous,” Burroughs said. “Most robbers, they rob and rob, and rob until they get caught.”
Most of the time they do get caught, she added.
Right now, the state is at a 10-year low in the rate of bank robberies, Burroughs said.
“The past four or five weeks we’ve had several bank robberies in the county, but they’ve been at a low for the last six or seven months,” Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said. “We think one of the reasons bank robberies have been at a low overall is because the FBI is doing such a great job working with bank tellers.”
The FBI’s programs educate bank employees about how to look for anything suspicious and report a robbery, allowing police to arrive more quickly, Burroughs said.
The man was booked into King County Jail for investigation of robbery.
Reporter Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452 or kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
