ARLINGTON — It may have started with an argument over a ring. Maybe it was stolen. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it belonged to a woman’s ex-husband. Maybe it belonged to her husband.
Police are still trying to get to the bottom of what happened outside an Arlington Denny’s last Saturday that led t
o a woman getting a gun stuck in her back, having $1,400 stolen from her pocket, and then being dragged by her own car as it was being stolen. The car was wrecked in the process.
Eight people were later arrested for having various roles in the crimes.
The confrontation broke out about 9 a.m. Saturday in the Denny’s Restaurant parking lot at I-5 and Highway 530, according to a police affidavit filed in Snohomish County Superior Court.
Trouble began brewing as the victim and three other people rode in a car on their way to Denny’s from the Tulalip Casino. The victim and another woman began to argue. The victim accused the woman of stealing a gold ring, which the woman was wearing. Somehow during the argument, a man got the ring.
The victim and the man were dropped off at the restaurant. The victim’s car was parked in the lot.
Another car pulled up. Four people got out and began yelling at the victim about a missing laptop they thought she had.
As they yelled at each other, a man pushed a pistol into the victim’s back and stole her cash, police said.
The man who was with the victim then tried to steal her car, hitting her twice with it and then dragging her as she tried to grab the keys out of the ignition. She was dragged several feet, but not farther, because the man drove the car into a fire hydrant, which stopped it.
Everyone but the victim then left the scene before police arrived, city spokeswoman Kristin Banfield said. One of their cars was later found to be stolen out of Burlington.
Arlington police and Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies worked together over the next two days to get everyone in custody, Banfield said. The victim suffered minor injuries and later took herself to a hospital to get checked over.
Arlington detectives believe the people involved could be connected to other crimes along the I-5 corridor, Banfield said. Some of them have been tied to vehicle thefts and other crimes in Snohomish and Skagit counties.
Investigators this week are serving search warrants related to the case. Anyone with information regarding the robbery is urged to call 360-403-3400.
As of Wednesday, four of the people involved were still in jails in Snohomish and Skagit counties. Four have been released.
One man, 20, of Marysville, was being held for investigation of first-degree robbery. Bail was set at $75,000.
Police are still working to figure out how the people ended up in the parking lot together, Banfield said. The victim had been at the casino with four of the people. She told police she didn’t know the other four who showed up.
The case has not yet been forwarded to prosecutors. Several charges for multiple people are expected.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com
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