Hemming of woman’s pants led to threats, police say

Published 7:33 pm Wednesday, April 17, 2013

MUKILTEO — A dispute over a pair of ill-fitting pants has left a Mukilteo man in trouble with the law.

The man was arrested for investigation of robbery and unlawful imprisonment Tuesday after allegedly threatening the owners of a dry cleaning business with a large steel bar.

“It was essentially over a $22 hemming bill,” Mukilteo police officer Cheol Kang said.

The dispute began over a pair of jeans belonging to the man’s wife, Kang said.

She brought the pants in to be altered April 9. She returned to pick them up on Monday.

The following day she came back to the business to complain. She said the pants were too long and she questioned whether they had been hemmed, Kang said.

The business owners refused to give the woman her money back.

The woman then called 911 to tell police she was denied a refund.

She also called her husband, court papers said.

The man, 44, drove to the store armed with an 8.5 pound, silver-colored tool known as a FatMax. It included a pry bar on one end and a two-tiered claw and hammer on the other. Amazon.com describes the tool as “excellent for prying, splitting, board bending and heavy striking jobs.”

The suspect allegedly locked the front door behind him and stepped up to the counter with the metal bar above his head, court records said.

He “threatened to kill the two victims if they did not give him a refund for the alterations to his wife’s pants,” according to a police report used to establish probable cause for his arrest.

One of the dry cleaner owners reported being scared and gave the man $22 and had him sign a receipt for the cash, Kang said.

The victims called 911 after the man left the store.

He was stopped and arrested. Police found a tool behind the front passenger seat of a vehicle matching a description provided by the business owners.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com