LYNNWOOD — Police believe a man who robbed several video stores in the Seattle area in the last three weeks has struck in Lynnwood.
The evening of Feb. 1, the man dubbed the “Whispering Bandit” robbed the Blockbuster video store at 17425 Highway 99.
The man walked into the store about 10 p.m., paused at a display for a few moments and then approached the clerk at the counter, according to police Cmdr. Paul Watkins.
In a low voice, the man told the clerk he had a gun and demanded money from the register. He walked out of the store with an undisclosed amount of money. No gun was ever shown, Watkins said.
Two employees and one customer were present during the robbery. No one was injured.
Police arrived at the store within minutes. A police dog searched for the man but lost his scent at a nearby vacant parking lot.
“It appears he’s connected to the Seattle robberies. His (mode of operation) is the same,” Watkins said.
A man who talks softly has robbed video stores in Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond in the past three weeks.
The suspect is described as a white man with a pockmarked face and slim build. He is 45 to 55 years old and about 6 feet 2 inches tall. He was wearing blue jeans and a brown leather jacket with a hood covering his head.
A color surveillance video was operating at the time of the robbery.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Lynnwood Police Department at 425-744-6900.
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