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A Washington state girl was stalked and robbed at gunpoint at an ATM amid a continued crime disaster raging on the West Coast.
Surveillance video, obtained by FOX 13, confirmed the theft happening by a Financial institution of America in Parkland, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, on Thursday, Sept. 26.
The footage captured a determine in a ski masks hiding within the shadows as an unsuspecting girl arrives on the financial institution and goes about withdrawing cash from the ATM.
After the girl had withdrawn her cash, the suspect emerged from the bushes and approached the girl, holding her up at gunpoint and demanding her cash.
SEATTLE BUSINESS OWNERS WARN VIOLENT CRIME IS HAPPENING ON A NEAR HOURLY BASIS: ‘THIS IS MADNESS’
The feminine sufferer was robbed at an ATM in Parkland, Washington. The suspect was seen hiding within the bushes previous to the theft. (FOX 13)
The Pierce County Sheriff’s workplace stated that the ski-masked suspect retreated – together with the $1,000 and the sufferer’s passport.
“It is a random act of violence,” Sergeant Darren Moss of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Division stated.
“That makes him extraordinarily harmful to our group,” he stated. “We need to get this individual in custody as a result of we don’t need him to do that to another person.”
The suspect approached the feminine sufferer and robbed her, police stated. (FOX 13)
The ATM theft comes after native enterprise homeowners have voiced their continued issues concerning the crime disaster.
Pat Callahan, the CEO of City Renaissance Group, advised the Enterprise Journal that whereas there was some enchancment, the crime drawback remains to be but to be solved. He claimed that many tenants at his downtown property are contemplating leaving the realm.
“Actually, what’s taking place now’s all of the fentanyl use is bringing constant crime to the realm, and it is festering,” he stated.
Violent crimes in Seattle surged in 2021 and 2022 after the federal government defunded the police. (FOX 13 )
URG Govt Vice President Shawn Jackson echoed his sentiments and advised the outlet that situations have develop into “considerably excessive.” He revealed that one particular person not too long ago began a rubbish truck hearth close to the corporate’s Joshua Inexperienced Constructing.
“These are property injury occasions that occur fairly incessantly,” he stated. “We won’t let the challenges of a number of concentrated blocks in our downtown outline our id.”
The Area Needle stands over the Seattle skyline as Mt. Rainier is seen within the background on March 13, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Picture by John Moore/Getty Photographs)
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Industrial actual property dealer Tom Graff stated the present method to crime just isn’t working and is “not sustainable.”
The enterprise chief’s sentiment comes because the variety of violent crimes in downtown Seattle fell by 10% in 2023 from 2022. It was the bottom quantity since 2018.
Fox Information Digital has reached out to the Pierce County Sheriff for remark.
Fox Information’ Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking information author for Fox Information Digital and Fox Enterprise.
Story ideas and concepts could be despatched to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.
WATCH: Washington state girl robbed at gunpoint at ATM amid crime issues
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