MARYSVILLE — Police have arrested a Marysville man accused of robbing more than a dozen massage parlors in Snohomish, King and Pierce counties.
The suspect, 23, reportedly told authorities he “targeted the businesses run by members of the Asian community, believing they would be hesitant to report the crimes.”
However, investigators said, “not only did the business owners report the robberies to police, they were instrumental in the identification of the suspect by detectives.”
An eight-page police report describes how the suspect entered spas, brandished a handgun and demanded money.
On April 20, the suspect walked into a spa around 11 p.m. in Marysville and pointed a gun at an employee’s head, police wrote. The employee reportedly told police the suspect forced her to the back of the building and grabbed onto her hard enough to leave marks on her shoulders.
He left the store with a Michael Kors backpack, a Louis Vuitton wallet, an iPhone 13 Pro Max, credit cards and $20 cash.
The suspect fled in his father’s silver Chrysler Town and Country minivan, police wrote. Someone else appeared to be driving.
The next morning, the suspect reportedly told police he drove the van to the Tulalip Walmart Supercenter on Quil Ceda Boulevard and tried to use a stolen Bank of America credit card to buy two gift cards valued at $804.94. Security footage shows the suspect walking in, attempting the transactions and leaving the store around 8:30 a.m, police wrote.
Later that day, the suspect reportedly sold the stolen Michael Kors Backpack to Cash America Pawn on State Avenue in Marysville.
The suspect walked into a different Marysville spa on the night of June 1 and asked for an hour-long massage, police wrote. A masseuse told him it would be a 30-minute wait. The suspect agreed to wait. He said he only had a $100 bill and asked if she could make change. When the masseuse took out money to make change, the suspect reportedly pulled out a can of pepper spray and threatened to spray the woman if she didn’t cooperate. The woman handed him $80 cash. The suspect asked if there was any more money and searched drawers but couldn’t find anything.
In addition to the $80, the robber took two bags full of bathroom supplies and cosmetics from the spa. He walked out of the spa through an alley, then got into a black Saturn Vue and drove off, police wrote.
The suspect reportedly told police he robbed three more Marysville spas the following week. After one of the robberies, a witness took down part of the license plate number on the Saturn and gave it to a police dispatcher.
Marysville police found and arrested the suspect Thursday. He reportedly told authorities he robbed the five Marysville parlors with a black Glock-style BB gun. The suspect also reportedly said he robbed parlors in Kirkland, Monroe, Renton, Snohomish, Seattle and Tacoma — totaling more than a dozen heists. Police carried out search warrants on the suspect’s home and a vehicle, where they said they obtained “several key pieces of evidence,” including clothing seen on camera.
The suspect was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of five counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree identity theft and one count of trafficking stolen property in the second degree.
He was in custody Friday. Everett District Court Judge Pro Tem David Ruzumna set bail at $1 million.
Ellen Dennis: 425-339-3486; edennis@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterellen.
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