Police are reporting an armed robbery shortly after 9 a.m. at Sally’s Beauty Supply, in the 800 block of Northeast Northgate Way.
Preliminary investigation indicates that a lone male suspect entered the store and walked up to the checkout counter. While holding a bandanna over his face the suspect ordered the female employee to open the cash registers and give him all the money. At that point the victim felt something hard pressing against her back that she believed to be a weapon (a handgun was displayed during the robbery).
After she gave the suspect the money from the registers the suspect demanded the money from the safe. The victim opened the safe and handed the suspect a bank deposit bag containing receipts. The suspect then ordered the employee into a back office and told her to place her hands behind her back as he threatened to bind her hands. At that point two customers entered the store causing the suspect to flee westbound on foot. The victim was not injured during the robbery.
Responding officers conducted an extensive area search however, the suspect remains at large. There is no suspect description available at this time.
Robbery detectives responded to the scene and continue to actively investigate.
The minimal response rate is not of a concern to me. TOO many opportunities for folks to contribute – I believe it’s okay to ‘read’ / noodle on it and not feel compelled to pile on for the sake of piling on. This situation is sadly part of the ever growing crime increase as noted earlier this week taking place downtown. Northgate / Maple Leaf are not exempt. Seattle Mayoral Candidates have taken up the issue… maybe this time we’ll elect someone who WILL do something!
@Brad:
I agree with your comments. I am definitely guilty of sarcasm on this board around the negative views of Northgate, but in all honesty there is truth behind many of the stereotypes.
It’s sad, but I tell my wife to avoid QFC in Northgate in the evenings and go to the Roosevelt Safeway instead. I avoid the B of A in Northgate and go to the one off of Roosevelt instead. Northgate is just a cross roads for “crap” behavior. I think a lot of problems are due to transients and those that come through Northgate more so than the actual full time Northgate residents. That is probably the most frustrating part.
I also think the lack of comments regarding this serious event is unfortunately due to the fact that most people probably aren’t surprised anymore to hear something like this happened in Northgate. The banks have been robbed, people have been robbed at cash machines, the park and ride near the mall is probably one of the highest areas for vehicle break-ins around, people were getting robbed at the bus exchange, etc… etc…
The fact that this post has not drawn a single comment for the first 48 hours is interesting. I guess several factors are at work:
1) perhaps readership of the Maple Leaf Life blog goes down on the weekends
2) perhaps readership of this blog REALLY goes down on beautiful sunny weekends
3) what is left to say as the level of “low-level” crime (break-ins, car prowls, graffiti) continues to escalate; why would be surprised when armed robberies in broad daylight start happening near the corner of Roosevelt Ave. and Northgate Way.
I’m glad nobody got hurt in this event. It’s probably impossible to completely prevent this type of robbery. (I don’t think Sally Beauty Supply is going to install bullet proof glass at the counter, like, for example, the Northgate branch of Bank of America) Maybe the police will apprehend the perps, and maybe not.
To me, it still shows a sad decline in the quality of life around here.