Monroe (WA) - In late September an ingenious heist-man held up an armored car, utilizing the help of decoys that he had hired via Craigslist to distract witnesses. He then escaped the scene by floating down a nearby creek using an inner tube. Earlier this week, Washington police officers and FBI agents caught a 28 year old man outside a Target store, and charged him with the Craigslist Robbery.
The police has been searching for the robbery suspect since September 30. The suspect wore a blue, long-sleeved shirt and a yellow safety vest, safety glasses and a mask at the time of the robbery. The decoys, who were not aware of the robbery, were asked to wear a similar attire, to aid in the distraction of witnesses. Those people responded to an ad that was posted in Craigslist three days prior: It offered to pay individuals for landscaping work, told them where to show up and what to wear.
The police said it was able to solve the case using a DNA match that had been left at the robbery site as well as through the review of a police report that was filed just three weeks prior to the robbery in regards to suspicious items located in a trash bin near the bank.
In the first police report, an individual noticed strange items among which was a two way radio, a wig, a safety vest and a large can of Mace. Police officers watched as a man drove up to the trash bin and removed them. The witness took down the license plate of the individual and gave it to a city worker. The police were then able to trace the license plate to the suspect’s wife.
At that point in time, the police didn’t have a crime, it merely had unusual items. While they were going over the evidence from the robbery, someone at the police remembered the previous report. Apparently, officers were following the suspect on Monday and knew that he would have to pick up his vehicle in the parking lot at Target.
The suspect’s criminal history included minor crimes like prescription forgery, but he hadn’t done anything major. Police officers believe that the suspect hacked someone’s wireless signal to post the ad on Craigslist, which was done in an attempt to conceal any traces to him.
The suspect has now been booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of First degree robbery.
The police has been searching for the robbery suspect since September 30. The suspect wore a blue, long-sleeved shirt and a yellow safety vest, safety glasses and a mask at the time of the robbery. The decoys, who were not aware of the robbery, were asked to wear a similar attire, to aid in the distraction of witnesses. Those people responded to an ad that was posted in Craigslist three days prior: It offered to pay individuals for landscaping work, told them where to show up and what to wear.
The police said it was able to solve the case using a DNA match that had been left at the robbery site as well as through the review of a police report that was filed just three weeks prior to the robbery in regards to suspicious items located in a trash bin near the bank.
In the first police report, an individual noticed strange items among which was a two way radio, a wig, a safety vest and a large can of Mace. Police officers watched as a man drove up to the trash bin and removed them. The witness took down the license plate of the individual and gave it to a city worker. The police were then able to trace the license plate to the suspect’s wife.
At that point in time, the police didn’t have a crime, it merely had unusual items. While they were going over the evidence from the robbery, someone at the police remembered the previous report. Apparently, officers were following the suspect on Monday and knew that he would have to pick up his vehicle in the parking lot at Target.
The suspect’s criminal history included minor crimes like prescription forgery, but he hadn’t done anything major. Police officers believe that the suspect hacked someone’s wireless signal to post the ad on Craigslist, which was done in an attempt to conceal any traces to him.
The suspect has now been booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of First degree robbery.