Suspect in Mountlake Terrace robbery shooting surrenders

Published 11:13 pm Friday, May 8, 2009

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — The person police believe pistol-whipped and shot a Mountlake Terrace man Monday night was arrested Thursday after his family convinced him to surrender.

Three people were involved in the robbery and attack in a third-floor apartment Monday night, according to court records.

Two people, a Lynnwood woman, 19, and a Marysville girl, 17, were arrested Wednesday. They both were jailed.

But police still were looking Thursday for Mark Wayne Till Jr., 19, the man they believe went to the robbery with a gun to use if “he had to,” court papers said.

Detectives released Till’s photo and asked for the public’s help in locating the man they said likely was armed and had a record of weapon arrests.

The incident involved his girlfriend and another girl. The three visited the Mountlake Terrace apartment intent on robbing the man who used to date Till’s girlfriend, Mountlake Terrace police Sgt. Doug Hansen said.

The plan went wrong and Till beat the ex-boyfriend before the two exchanged gunfire, court papers allege. The ex-­boyfriend was seriously hurt.

After the shooting, Till told his girlfriend, “It was me or him, and I was not going to die,” the court papers said. Till allegedly asked one of the women to wipe the gun clean and put it in his pocket.

Till’s mother and sister accompanied him to the Mountlake Terrace Police Department on Thursday night.

He was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of first-degree robbery and first-degree assault.

“Mr. Till is in jail,” Hansen said. “That’s a good thing.”

A judge Friday ordered him held in lieu of $200,000 bail.

Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.