As the crime crisis continues on the West Coast, a Washington state woman was followed and robbed at gunpoint at an ATM.
Surveillance video obtained by FOX13shows a robbery at a Bank of America in the Seattle suburb of Parkland, Washington, on Thursday, September 26th.
The footage showed a person wearing a ski mask hiding in the shadow of an unsuspecting woman who arrived at the bank and withdrew money from an ATM.
After the woman withdrew the money, the suspect emerged from the bushes, approached her, pointed a gun at her and demanded money.
Seattle business leaders warn that violent crimes are happening almost every hour: 'This is crazy'
The victim was robbed at an ATM in Parkland, Washington. The suspect was seen hiding in the bushes before the robbery. (FOX13)
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office said a suspect wearing a ski mask left with $1,000 and the victim's passport.
“This was a random act of violence,” said Sergeant Darren Moss of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.
“That's why he's such a danger to our community,” he said. “We want to take this person into custody because we don't want him to do something like this to anyone else.”
Police say the suspect approached the female victim and robbed her. (FOX13)
The ATM robbery occurred after local business owners expressed continued concerns about the crime crisis.
said Pat Callahan, CEO of Urban Renaissance Group. business journal Although there has been some improvement, the crime problem remains unresolved. He claimed that many of the tenants on his property downtown are considering leaving the area.
“Really, everything that's going on right now Fentanyl use “It's bringing continued crime to the area and it's getting worse,” he said.
Violent crime spiked in Seattle in 2021 and 2022 after the government defunded police. (FOX13)
URG executive vice president Sean Jackson echoed his sentiments, telling the outlet that the situation has become “a little extreme.” He said someone recently set a garbage truck on fire near the company's Joshua Green building.
“These are property damage incidents that occur very frequently,” he said. “We cannot let the challenges of a few blocks concentrated in our downtown define our identity.”
The Space Needle stands above the Seattle skyline with Mount Rainier in the background, March 13, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
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Commercial real estate broker Tom Graff said current crime-fighting measures are not working and are “not sustainable.”
The emotions of business leaders Violent crime in downtown Seattle In 2023, there will be a 10% decrease from 2022, the lowest figure since 2018.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pierce County Sheriff for comment.
FOX News' Nicholas Lanum contributed to this report.
