Monroe Police arrest robbery suspects

Monroe Police arrested two strong-arm robbery suspects Wednesday following a high-speed pursuit via U.S. Highway 2.

The men, 18 and 21, were spotted by Monroe Police Officer Nathan Erdmann by the Shell gas station at the corner of U.S. 2 and Lewis Street in Monroe. The officer recognized the Honda Accord as having allegedly been stolen in Everett two days earlier. The 18-year-old driver is from Gold Bar.

Erdmann tried to make a traffic stop, according to court documents. Monroe Sgt. Ryan Irving set up a spike strip in the eastbound lanes, which the driver avoided. The driver sped down the highway, eluding officers, and at times crossed into the westbound lane, according to an MPD news release.

While being followed by multiple patrol units, the right front of the vehicle’s tire went flat, coming off the rim, according to the court documents. The car was still traveling at close to 100 mph.

When the driver couldn’t handle a curve in the road, the vehicle crashed into a Burlington Northern Railroad signal box on U.S. 2 at West Fern Bluff Road, according to court documents. The driver ran away, but was caught by officers. Both men were taken into custody.

The driver was treated for minor injuries at EvergreenHealth Monroe, according to the release.

Monroe Police then turned the two men over to the Everett Police Department, said Aaron Snell, Everett Police community information officer.

Snell said both men confessed to detectives they had robbed a man of his Isuzu Trooper on Sunday, Jan. 22, in the 2100 block of Everett Avenue. The two men had asked the victim for help jump-starting their car. The victim said they assaulted him before driving off in his vehicle, he said.

The first vehicle was later recovered in Gold Bar, according to an Everett Police news release on Thursday. The two men on Tuesday allegedly assaulted a man sitting in his vehicle in the 3700 block of Broadway Avenue. This was the vehicle recovered by Monroe Police at the end of Wednesday’s chase.

The driver told Everett officers he and the passenger had found the car in Everett with the keys in it and took the car, according to court documents.

Everett Police had been investigating both robberies, but did not know the two men had been involved in both until they confessed to detectives, Snell said.

Both men were booked into the Snohomish County Jail for two counts of strong-arm robbery on Wednesday. The driver was also booked for possession of a stolen vehicle and attempt to elude. Their charging deadline is Monday. His bail is $100,000 and $50,000 for the passenger.