Seattle police arrested a 28-year-old man after he reportedly stole several items from a Queen Anne grocery store, punched an employee and took a King County Metro Bus to escape on Feb. 20.
West Precinct officers were called to the grocery store in the 2100 block of Queen Anne Avenue North for the report of the robbery at about 8 a.m.
A 22-year-old employee of the grocery store told Seattle police he recognized the suspect as a frequent shoplifter and told him he was not allowed in the store. The employee reported that he followed the 28-year-old suspect. He said he saw the man grab items including a box display of lighters and hide them under a blanket.
The employee told SPD he tried to stop the suspect from leaving without paying and the suspect hit him and left the store. The suspect was then spotted boarding a bus on East Boston Street. The bus was located and stopped a short time later along Fifth Avenue North.
The 28-year-old suspect exited the bus and items were recovered. He was arrested for shoplifting and investigation of robbery.
Incident Number: 2025-047037