Highlands bank robbed by Renton man who made bomb threat

A KeyBank in the Highlands was robbed Friday afternoon by a man who handed an employee a note saying there was a bomb in the bank, according to the Renton Police Department.

Police did not disclose how much money was taken from the bank.

The suspect, a 55-year-old Renton, was arrested later after he was found in the restroom at the QFC grocery store not far way.

The robbery occurred at about 2:40 p.m. at the KeyBank at 4431 N.E. Fourth St. It's the same bank that was robbed in early September by a woman who said she wanted to go to jail to have a better place to live.

A bank employee called 911 to report a man had entered the bank and presented a note stating this was a robbery and there was a bomb in the building.

Employees saw the suspect get into a taxi cab; they wrote down the taxi's license-plate number. The suspect was seen lying down in the back seat of the taxi.

The bank was evacuated because of the bomb threat.

Later police contacted the taxi's driver at the QFC at Northeast Fourth Street and Duvall Avenue, who told officers he had dropped off the man at the store.

Officers surrounded the store and secured all the entrances. The man was found inside a restroom, along with the clothing he was wearing during the robbery and the demand note, according to police.

A bank employee brought to the QFC identified the man as the robbery suspect.

The suspect was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of  felony bank robbery. Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to call 911 or contact the Renton Police Department at 425-430-7500 and refer to case 12-10140.

Contact Renton Reporter Editor Dean Radford at editor@rentonreporter.com or 1-425-255-3484 (ext 5050).

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