Staff Report

A male suspect robbed three Redmond Town Center Simply Mac store employees at gunpoint and then fled on foot into the nearby Marriott hotel last Thursday evening. No injuries were reported.

Redmond Police Department (RPD) Cmdr. Tim Gately said on Tuesday that “detectives believe they have a suspect they are focusing on.”

According to a RPD press release, officers responded to the armed robbery at about 8:15 p.m. and were informed that the suspect entered the Simply Mac store and displayed a handgun. The suspect stole cash and Apple merchandise (including laptop computers, iPods and electronics), placing them into large plastic bags.

As the suspect casually walked around the Redmond Marriott Town Center lobby, he left behind large black plastic bags full of the stolen merchandise. After exiting the hotel, he ran west toward the downtown corridor and dropped a backpack in the parking lot west of the hotel. Police K9 units tracked the suspect away from the Redmond Town Center area, but were unable to locate the suspect. Police recovered the backpack, which appeared to contain a small handgun or airsoft pistol.

Gately said detectives are working to obtain a search warrant for the suspect’s backpack and are processing evidence, including nearly 100 stolen iPods and iPads and $800 cash.

The suspect is described as a white or hispanic male, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, with a bandage on his face and wearing a blue vertical striped shirt, blue jeans, black hat and possibly a blue bandana.

“The Redmond Police Department was quick to respond and we’re working with them closely to assist,” said Courtney Klein, Redmond Town Center property manager.

Representatives from Marriott and Simply Mac were unavailable for comment at press time.