The Gig Harbor bank robbery suspect’s neck tattoo said ‘karma.’ They found him
Editor’s note: This blotter is compiled from recent Gig Harbor police reports.
Gig Harbor police received a call of a hold-up alarm earlier in the day July 12 alerting them of a robbery in progress at Columbia Bank, located at 5303 Point Fosdick Dr. NW.
The suspect was described as a white male in his early 20s, about 6 feet tall with a thin build, blonde hair, and a distinctive neck tattoo of the word “karma.” He paced outside the bank before he walked in, passed a teller a note, took money and left the building.
Surveillance camera footage showed the suspect on camera matched a suspect in a bank robbery June 30. A red pickup truck with an extended cab was seen across the street after the suspect fled on foot toward that location.
The bank manager told officers the suspect’s note said: “You have 2 minutes or my homies will run up in here, you don’t want that.”
The Gig Harbor officer investigating the crime thought that the man likely was behind a string of similar bank robberies in Thurston and Pierce counties, including the bank robbery June 30 in Gig Harbor. This observation came from the neck tattoo, the red pickup and the note, which had similar verbiage as the other recent robberies.
Hours after the July 12 robbery in Gig Harbor, tellers at a bank in Poulsbo reported a robbery at about 5 p.m.
Deputies located the red pickup on state Route 3. It exited the highway in Silverdale and rear-ended another vehicle. Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested the suspect after running the car off the road.
In an interview with detectives, the suspect allegedly admitted to robbing six banks in Western Washington.
Police called to dinner
Gig Harbor police received a called a 10 p.m. July 14 for domestic violence incident at Bella Femmina Italian Restaurant, 3110 Harborview Dr.
Once an officer arrived, they approached a man and woman who were behind a nearby business.
Both of them denied anything physical had occurred and denied being in a relationship. That’s when the officers cleared the scene.
About an hour later the officers were dispatched back to the Italian restaurant, where it was reported the woman was pushing customers inside.
Once the officers arrived back on the scene they contacted the woman at the entrance and started talking to her. The other officer went inside to see what happened and saw the man exiting the bathroom.
The man told the officer he wanted the woman arrested for assaulting him.
The officer told him he would file a report and send it to the prosecutor who would make a decision about charges.
The bartender at Bella Femmina told the officers the woman pushed several people and the restaurant wanted her gone.
The woman was issued a trespass letter. She signed it and left the scene.
Home Depot shoplifter
While patrolling the parking lot of Home Depot at 5120 Borgen Boulevard around 8:40 p.m. July 8, Gig Harbor police noticed expired tags on a van.
The van was reported to be unoccupied and the ignition was damaged. A records check listed the vehicle as recently involved in a shoplifting incident and a hit and run incident.
The officer contacted a man who approached the van. Per identification given to the officer, a records check showed the man had approximately 10 warrants for his arrest.
While on the scene the officer spoke to the management of Home Depot. The man was recognized by the staff as a frequent shoplifter who had been to the Gig Harbor Home Depot on multiple occasions. At the request of management the man was issued a written notice of trespass. Management also made the decision to call to have the van removed from the property.
The officer transported the man to Kitsap County Jail where he was booked and advised to take care of his warrants.
$1,000 bike stolen from YMCA
Shortly after noon on July 12, a man noticed his $1,000 bike was missing off the bike rack at the YMCA, 10550 Harbor Hill Dr.
While inside, he left his bike unlocked on the bike rack outside.
A male suspect walked up and rode off on the bike, per security footage.
The suspect was a white male, about 20, with short dark hair, who exited out of an older 2000s metallic lime green Honda. The vehicle had no license plates.
The YMCA staff told the officer they recognized the suspect as someone who had arrived in a stolen vehicle and then stole a different one out of the parking lot, and left the original vehicle behind.
The case is pending suspect identification.
Vacuum heist
While patrolling his regular assigned area July 12, a Gig Harbor police officer was advised of a shoplifting incident at Target, 11400 51st Ave., the day prior.
The officer met with a store associate who provided him with a report for the incident. It stated an unknown suspect entered the building and made their way to the vacuum section of the store about 7:38 p.m. July 11.
The male suspect used an unknown tool to smash a single case that held iROBOT vacuums. He proceeded to steal almost $1,500 in vacuums.
The store associate said he recognized the suspect from the video footage and said the suspect had been coming into the store the past couple of days.
The suspect’s identity remains unknown.
