On December 26th, at approximately 9:24 PM, West Precinct officers were dispatched to a robbery call at a restaurant located in the 500 Block of Queen Anne Avenue North. The 911 call indicated that a suspect had just robbed the business and was being detained by people inside the restaurant. When officers arrived, they discovered that two customers were holding the suspect down on the floor. The suspect was immediately taken into custody. Witnesses described what happened to officers:
The suspect, who turned out to be a former employee, entered the business and walked past the counter to the rear of the building where the kitchen/office are located. He then shut off the lights, putting the entire restaurant in the dark. At some point, the suspect accessed the closed but unlocked safe and removed the cash. When he emerged from the rear of the building, he was wearing a mask over his face and ordering everyone to “Get down!” The employees and most of the customers had fled the business when the lights went out, and the manager had locked the doors from the outside. Three customers, including a father and adult son, remained inside. Fearing that a robbery was taking place, the father and son tripped the suspect and fought to hold the suspect until police arrived.
Witnesses were interviewed by officers and the suspect was positively identified. The money was recovered from his coat pocket.
The son sustained some minor abrasions on his face and hands from the struggle, and the suspect also sustained some injuries, which required him to be treated at Harborview Medical Center. The 56 year old suspect was treated at the hospital and then booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Robbery and an outstanding warrant. The 60 year old customer and his 31 year old son were treated for their injuries at the scene by the Fire Department. The Robbery Unit will now conduct the follow up investigation.