'Forcible Hugging' Assault In Redmond Leaves Woman Shaken

REDMOND, WA - A man assaulted a woman walking to work in the downtown area recently when he walked up and grabbed her, according to police.

The incident happened on Feb. 17 just before 9 a.m. The woman was walking near 164th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 76th Street when she noticed the man following her. The man grabbed her from behind in a hug. The woman screamed until the man let her go, according to police.

The woman was not injured, and the attacker ran off. If you witnessed the incident, you can contact Redmond police and reference case No. 19-000902.

Here are more February incidents from the Redmond police blotter:

February 4, 2019

• Time: 16:20
• Type: Arrest
• Location: 1770 block of NE 76th St
• Case Number: 19-000693

A 20-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting liquor from a local grocery store.

February 5, 2019

• Time: 05:30
• Type: Commercial Burglary
• Location: 15200 block of Shen St.
• Case Number: 19-800052

An unidentified suspect stole cash out of the front office of a local hotel.

• Time: 13:15
• Type: Theft
• Location: 17700 block of NE 76th St.
• Case Number: 19-000712

A Utah woman called police after finding her credit card number had been used at a Redmond business without her knowledge or permission. The victim still had the physical card in her possession but the unknown suspect was able to charge more than $300 to her account.

February 6, 2019

• Time: 15:51
• Type: Extortion
• Location: Redmond

A woman called police after she was threatened by a man she met online. The suspect attempted to coerce the victim into sending sexually explicit photos and videos. The suspect said he would share nude images of the victim online if she did not comply. The suspect's true identity is not known at this time.

• Time: Afternoon
• Type: Theft
• Location: 15700 block of Redmond Way and vicinity

A trio of young males were suspected of a string of thefts where one teen distracted the victims while another stole wallets and other items from their purses. The thieves' method involved entering a local business, distracting an employee and then one suspect would grab items out of a purse near or under the front counter. Victims reported several of their credit cards were used immediately after the theft at local shops. Information and evidence gathered is being processed and the investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made.

February 7, 2019

• Time: 13:30
• Type: Reckless Burning
• Location: 8700 block of 160th Ave NE
• Case Number: 19-000720

A male subject was arrested on suspicion of lighting two small fires in front of the Redmond Police Department and the Senior Center. The fires did not cause considerable damage to either property.

February 8, 2019

• Time: 14:00
• Type: Fraud/ID Theft
• Location: 1500 block of NE 50th St.
• Case Number: 19-000785

A woman fell victim to an online scam that convinced her to share personal and banking information with the unknown suspect. The victim received an email claiming to be from Apple.com telling her to log in to her Apple account and share her bank account, date of birth and other information. Upon realizing she had been scammed the victim immediately alerted her bank. Police advised the victim to freeze her credit and keep an eye on accounts for fraudulent activity.

February 9, 2019

• Time: 05:45
• Type: Commercial Burglary
• Location: 2000 block of 148th Ave NE
• Case Number: 19-000789

Employees at a local coffee shop reported someone had entered their store from a rear door and stolen a few small electronics from the office. The thief's identity is unknown at this time.

February 10, 2019

• Time: 14:30
• Type: Vehicle Prowl
• Location: 8300 block of 160th Ave NE
• Case Number: 19-000798

A thief smashed a car window and stole a backpack. The suspect is unknown.

• Time: 08:45
• Type: Residential Burglary
• Location: 18600 block of NE 57th Way
• Case Number: 19-000755

A thief with an apparent affinity for the finer things in life broke into a garage and made off with two bottles of high-end wine and a blow up paddle board. There was no information available on the identity of the law-breaking bon vivant.

February 14, 2019

• Time: Overnight
• Type: Vehicle Prowl
• Location: 6200 block of 139th Ave
• Case Number: 19-800074

An unknown thief stole personal documents and other items out of a parked car.

• Time: 12:17
• Type: Theft
• Location: 10901 block of 176th Circle NE
• Case Number: 19-000847

A man reported being scammed out of $9000 by an online fraudster posing to be from Microsoft. The scam, which is fairly common, involved the "Microsoft" contact informing the victim that the company had mistakenly deposited extra money into his account. The suspect then directed the victim to send the amount in cash to an address out of state. Officers attempted to track down the cash but were unable to recover it.

February 15, 2019

• Time: 18:43
• Type: Vehicle Prowl
• Location: 7300 block of 170th Ave NE
• Case Number: 19-000870

A car prowler smashed a car window and stole a purse that had been left inside. The suspect then used the victim's credit cards soon after at a local department store and gas station. No suspect information was available.

• Time: 17:28
• Type: Fraud
• Location: 11400 block of 183rd Place NE
• Case Number: 19-000867

A man reported an unknown scammer had charged about $200 worth of purchases to his credit card without his permission.

• Time: 15:37
• Type: Arrest
• Location: Avondale Road and 180th Ave NE
• Case Number: 19-000866

Witnesses called police when a fight broke out among three associates at a local park. Officers arrived, sorted out who did what to whom and two of the suspects were arrested on suspicion of assault.

February 16, 2019

• Time: 03:52
• Type: Theft
• Location: 15800 block of Redmond Way
• Case Number: 19-000876

Two male subjects pried open an unattended cash register at a local grocery store and made off with almost $200 in cash. Officers arrived quickly and were assisted by Bellevue PD's K9, but the suspects were not located. Evidence is being processed and investigation is ongoing.