North Sound News

Police say woman tried to rob Edmonds motel, attack clerk with hatchet

Police arrested a woman last month who they say tried to rob and attack an Edmonds motel clerk with a hatchet.

Edmonds police were Golden West Motel on Highway 99 for a report of a disturbance.

The incident was caught on surveillance cameras. (See it below)

Arriving officers were told a woman had jumped the office counter and made threats with a hatchet.

When police entered the motel office, they found it in disarray, with numerous items knocked over and on the floor.  On the floor was a male witness and the female suspect.

The man said he had tackled the woman to the ground after she tried to attack the clerk with the hatchet, claiming she was owed a refund, according to a police report.

The suspect was taken outside to speak with one officer while a second officer reviewed security video of the incident.

According to a Snohomish County police document, the video showed the female suspect enter the motel office with her head covered with a hood, a bandana over her face and a hatchet in her hand.

Once inside, she locked the office door and rang the service bell, documents said.

Moments later, presumably after the clerk opened the security door, the suspect is seen jumping over the counter with hatchet in hand, hitting a security camera with the hatchet and breaking down the security door to the managers area before going out of the camera’s view, the police report said.

The clerk told police the woman was demanding money from him during the incident and took a swing at his head with the hatchet, but he was able to block the blow and hold her off until a male witness came over and tackled the suspect, according to investigators.

Police said the woman had also used the hatchet on the security door, putting numerous holes in it before breaking it open.

The suspect was arrested for investigation of first-degree robbery. When she was placed in handcuffs, she suddenly said she was having a medical issue and requested an ambulance, according to police.

She was taken to Swedish Edmonds to be checked out.

While in custody and at the hospital, police said the woman refused to give her name or date of birth, but some of her belongings had a name on them.  During several hours at the hospital, the officer was able to determine her name.

Police said a search of her backpack revealed a substantial amount of what appeared to be methamphetamine and a glass pipe commonly used to smoke the drug.

The woman may also be charged for assault.