West Seattle strip mall hit by 2 armed robberies in 8 days

SEATTLE — A West Seattle strip mall off 35th Avenue has had two armed robberies in just eight days.

The first happened on Feb. 18 when three suspects held an employee at the Global Smoke and Vape shop at gunpoint, taking hundreds of dollars and products.

On Sunday night, the owners of A Pizza Mart, which is right next door to the smoke shop, had a man in what they described as a tracksuit pull a gun on an employee at the register. They initially thought he was a customer coming to pick up a to-go order.

“So, as soon as my son is asking him for his order, and at the same time, he pulled a gun at him. And then we know he (is a) robber,” one of the owners told KIRO 7.

She says that in their 25 years at the location, this was the first time they had ever been robbed. While she is thankful no one was hurt in this situation, she says the whole thing still weighs heavy on her mind.

“We are definitely worried. I can’t sleep all night. I still think about it. If anything happens, what will we do?” she asked.

She says they plan to install security cameras inside the restaurant as soon as possible. She worries the area isn’t as safe as it used to be.

“So, I don’t know if it’s the same people or different, but since it’s in this area, it makes us more scared,” she said.

The suspect in that robbery was described as a white man in his early 20s wearing a black mask and white jacket who left the area in a black Toyota Prius.

Business owners at this strip mall say they want to see more police patrol the area. That way, it can create some sense of security.

But, co-owner of The Missing Piece Games Café Mike Campbell, believes police patrolling the area isn’t the only way to prevent crime.

“Any kind of preventative measure, anything that would be helping these people not be in a situation where they would need to go rob stores,” Campbell said.

KIRO7 has contacted the Seattle Police Department about the robbery and any details on a potential suspect, and we are waiting for a response.

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