Deputies Search For Armed Man After South Hill Robbery

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — Pierce County investigators are asking for public help identifying a man suspected of robbing the South Hill Fred Meyer at gunpoint Tuesday. Deputies said an armed man first entered an Umpqua Bank with a scarf covering his face shortly before 11 a.m. A bank teller asked him to uncover his face, and he fled the store. A short time later, investigators said the same man walked into the Fred Meyer on Meridian East, showed a gun and demanded money.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, the man was last seen heading west on 176th Street. Multiple units and a K9 searched for the suspect in nearby neighborhoods but he was not found. Carson Elementary, Brouillet Elementary, and Stahl Middle School were put into lockdown while the search continued.