MARYSVILLE — It was every shopper’s nightmare.
A woman climbed into her car in the parking lot outside a Marysville department store. Suddenly, there was a man in a ski mask at the window. He had a gun, and demanded money.
He let her go after she gave him some cash.
How that happened April 19 led to the arrest Thursday morning of a 27-year-old Snohomish County man. He’s now under investigation for first-degree robbery.
The robber apparently made some mistakes. First, he targeted a woman who was out of cash after shopping. Second, he agreed to take off his mask and accompany her back into the store on Twin Lakes Avenue.
She made a purchase and got about $40 back in bills. Security cameras captured images of the suspect.
The man left in a white 1991 Nissan Maxima. No one was hurt.
“Police believe this was an isolated incident and there is no threat to those shopping in the Twin Lakes area,” Marysville police detective Craig Bartl said.
Officers believe two others were in the Nissan, Bartl said. While they weren’t involved in the robbery, police plan to investigate further.
Marysville police released images from the security footage earlier this week. Multiple people recognized the suspect, and called to pass along his name. Detectives found a photo through the state Department of Licensing. It looked like the man from the surveillance stills.
Early Thursday, officers made a traffic stop in the 1000 block of Alder Street. They recognized the passenger as the suspect from the April 19 robbery, Bartl said.
The man first lied about his name but eventually admitted who he was. He was booked around 2 a.m. into the Snohomish County Jail.
After his arrest, the suspect told police he knew the woman, and was waiting for her at the store. He said they walked in to get money together, and left at the same time in separate cars.
Detectives showed him security video debunking his story. The suspect said he was confused because of his heroin addiction.
Officers believe the man had been living out of his car. He admitted to trading the gun used in the robbery for drugs within the past week.
Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @stephrdavey.
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