Armed man enters closed laundromat, arrested for burglary

Tumwater police arrested a man for entering a closed storefront business armed with knives.

On the evening of Wednesday, October 4, an armed man was spotted going inside a local laundromat on Capitol Boulevard in Tumwater a little before 10 p.m. despite the “OPEN” sign being turned off.

Tumwater Police Department responded to the scene after the man tripped the alarm when he entered. The business owner also called 911 when he saw the suspect through the live security video footage.

The responding officer arrived at the scene and observed the suspect was carrying “at least three large sheathed blades attached at the suspect`s belt line,” according to the police report.  The officer sought and received backup assistance from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) and the Washington State Police.

When the additional law enforcement officers arrived, they formed a parameter, deployed a 40mm less-lethal launcher, and protected themselves with a ballistic shield.

The authorities began calling out to the suspect to surrender, informing him of the presence of K9 units. The suspect surrendered without further incident, with the knives attached to his belt removed.

When interrogated, the suspect said he went inside the establishment to charge his phone.

“The front door to the business was unlocked and people were inside the business doing laundry,” Roby said. “The open sign was not illuminated, but I thought there was nothing wrong with going inside because other customers were inside the business.”

The suspect further said that when law enforcement officers arrived, he did not think it was because of him.

A mountain bike belonging to the suspect was discovered inside the store, loaded with various large items, including duffel bags, small coolers and a large Bluetooth speaker.

After consulting with the on-duty prosecutor, the man was arrested for 2nd-degree^nd degree burglary and brought to Thurston County Jail.

“He (the suspect) entered or remained unlawfully inside a closed business and used electricity to charge his devices without paying for the service,” Tumwater police stated.