SPD Blotter: Police Arrest Man Suspected Of Stealing Purses, Bags From More Than A Dozen Asian Women

Seattle WA

20 May, 2021

10:36 AM

Description

Press release from SPD Blotter: May 19, 2021 10:30 am Police have arrested 26-year-old man suspected of stealing purses and bags from more than a dozen women in the Chinatown-International District, Rainier Valley, and Beacon Hill. Over the last six weeks, the suspect approached his victims—primarily Asian women, from 40 to 80 years old—near their vehicles, outside Seattle grocery stores, and grabbed their bags before fleeing in a vehicle. On Tuesday, members of the Robbery Unit, Gun Violence Reduction Unit, Community Response Group and US Marshals arrested the suspect at a Renton car rental lot and arrested him. Police recovered a loaded handgun from the man–who is a convicted felon and unable to legally possess guns—and booked him into the King County Jail for multiple counts of theft and unlawful possession of a firearm. SPD's Bias Crimes unit will also review the cases, due to the suspect's repeated targeting of Asian victims. This press release was produced by SPD Blotter. The views expressed here are the author's own.