Midland Robbery Suspect Wanted; Sheriff Seeks Tips

MIDLAND, WA — An armed, masked robbery suspect reportedly held up three business in Midland this past weekend. The androgynous suspect (possibly a man) so terrified the employee victims, however, he was only able to obtain cash from one of the locations, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.

In a social media alert posted to the PCSO Twitter and Facebook accounts, sheriff's officials said the robberies occurred between 11:45 p.m. Friday and 12:45 a.m. Sunday, with two of the robberies occurring within 15 minutes of each other.

The first robbery on Nov. 16 took place at the Chevron gas station at the intersection of East Portland Avenue and 104th Street East around 11:45 p.m.

The suspect reportedly entered the gas station, pulled a gun, and demanded cash from the clerk. After taking an undisclosed amount of money, the suspect fled on foot.

Just after midnight, roughly 15 minutes after the first robbery, the same suspect reportedly entered the Union 76 gas station at the intersection of Golden Given Road and 99th Street east — roughly a half-mile to the northwest.

At the 76 the suspect reportedly banged on the countertop and fired three rounds into the ceiling, causing the clerk to hide behind the counter. Unable to obtain any money, the suspect fled.

Roughly 24 hours later, around 12:45 a.m. Nov. 18, a similarly described suspect knocked on the window of the Portland Avenue Big Foot Java coffee stand located at the intersection of 112th Street and Portland Avenue east — a half-mile south of the Chevron.

After knocking the suspect reportedly tried to pry open the drive-thru window before pointing the gun at the barista inside. In response, the barista ran to the rear of the coffee stand and hid. Unable to obtain any cash again, the suspect fled.

The suspect was described as a short, stocky person, standing around 5-foot-6 and maybe 215 pounds. He was wearing a white hoodie, black joggers, black gloves, and a gray balaclava. He was also reportedly carrying a red backpack.

Anyone with information about any of these three incidents is encouraged to contact the Pierce County Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound.

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Images via Pierce County Sheriff's Office