Posted on 04/13/2002 7:04:44 AM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig
SNOHOMISH - Two robbers wielding a gun, a hammer and pepper spray robbed a downtown jewelry store midday Friday, only to have their escape spoiled by a bystander who shot one of them and another who gave chase.
A nearby business person tried to stop the robbers from fleeing, first by shooting at the getaway car's tires and then by firing into the Honda Accord when the robbers refused to stop. One robber was wounded in the arm.
A second citizen followed the fleeing robbers, who ditched the car and fled behind houses near two schools. One robber was captured. The other escaped, despite an intensive manhunt.
The robbers got more than they bargained for in coming to a small town, Snohomish resident Leta Chavez speculated.
"I'll bet they didn't expect the residents to go after them," she said. "People look out for each other here."
One worker at the Sachi Fine Jewelry and Design store, 1024 First St., suffered head wounds after being hit with a hammer. The 52-year-old Snohomish man was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was conscious and listed in serious condition, a hospital spokeswoman said. He was released Friday night.
A second employee was treated at the scene by paramedics after being sprayed by the robbers with pepper spray, Snohomish Police Chief Rob Sofie said.
Snohomish police caught one of the suspected robbers. He was wounded in the arm by a gunshot. He was treated at Providence Everett Medical Center's Colby Campus and then released to police.
The 18-year-old suspect was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on investigation of first-degree robbery, first-degree assault with a weapon, first-degree possession of stolen property, and second-degree assault with a weapon. His bail was set at $70,000.
Patrick Leahy, who lives in the Machias area, was having breakfast on First Street when the robbery occurred.
"All of a sudden the world comes crashing in around us," he said.
The robbers entered the store at about 11:40 a.m. They wore either ski masks or hooded sweatshirts, Sofie said. They assaulted two employees, stole jewelry and fled - leaving behind a handgun that had been stolen in King County, he said.
But the robbers were confronted outside the store by a man from a nearby business, who was armed with handgun. Preliminary investigation indicated that when the robbers refused to stop, the man tried to disable the getaway car by shooting a tire. When the car didn't stop, he fired into the car, striking one of the robbers in the arm, Sofie said. The man fired three or four shots, he said.
Another Snohomish resident in his own vehicle followed the fleeing Honda, which had been reported stolen in Seattle, Sofie said. The robbers' car crashed into a parked car and still didn't stop. With one tire that appeared to be flat, it drove a few blocks north, where the robbers abandoned it on Fourth Street, near two schools.
There were no students at the schools due to spring break. Central-Emerson Primary Center and Zion Lutheran School were locked down during the manhunt.
After abandoning the stolen car and at least some of the jewelry, the two robbers fled on foot, carrying a bag that apparently contained a change of clothing, Sofie said. They then entered a heavily wooded area behind the primary school.
Police, assisted by Snohomish County sheriff's deputies and two K-9 units, tried to contain the robbers in an area between Second and Fourth streets and Union and Cedar avenues. The area encompassed the primary school and a steep, wooded gully behind it, along with some homes and businesses.
A police dog led the searchers to one hiding suspect. He was caught behind the primary school.
Officers or deputies were stationed at every intersection and other locations in an effort to prevent the second robber from escaping, while the search dogs combed the rugged gully. A Monroe volunteer brought in a thermal imaging device to try to locate him. A sheriff's helicopter circled above the scene with spotters also looking for the fugitive.
The helicopter eventually landed on an empty lot nearby and the Monroe volunteer went airborne to use the heat sensor from above. But no one was found.
Authorities haven't determined how much jewelry was stolen or whether all of it was recovered, Sofie said.
Throughout the search, people stopped to watch as police cars hurried from place to place. Armed officers, including some with rifles, stood guard and police dogs hunted for their quarry.
But Friday's incident disturbed some residents, especially in light of other high-profile crimes, like the beating death on Feb. 26 of a Bothell firefighter outside a Snohomish bar on First Street.
"I just thought Snohomish was a peaceful burg until they murder people on First Street," said Mike Payne, who lives across from the police station and watched part of the search. "I'm no longer proud. Mindless violence is endemic."
But Chavez believed the recent incidents were aberrations.
"It's normally really, really quiet in Snohomish," said Leta Chavez, who lives near the schools. "It's actually a great place to live. Everybody knows everybody. And I hear about it if a car even pulls into my driveway."
The investigation and the search for the second robber are continuing, Sofie said. The robber is a white male in his late teens or early 20s, about 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches, with brown or dark hair. He was last seen wearing dark clothing.
Anyone with information about the incident should call Detective Kristi Cuddy at the Snohomish Police Department at 360-568-0888.
You can call Herald Writer Cathy Logg at 425-339-3437 or send e-mail to logg@heraldnet.com.
STEPHANIE S. CORDLE / The Herald
The Wild West, where most men and many women were armed, was a much safter and more peaceful place than the Eastern cities of the day. Hollywierd and "dime novel" representations to the contrary not withstanding.
I'm glad they caught th' albiner alibasterd.
The fact that they did report it does make my point also. They DID reveal the skin color, which they do if it's white.
The Wild West is much more preferable to the Detroits, New Yorks and Washington D.C.s of today.
What's wrong with Washington, DC?
"If you don't count the murders, the crime rate in Washington isn't too bad" -Former Mayor and race baiter Marion Barry, whose idea of "snow removal" involves a mirror, a razor blade, and a straw.
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