The Grays Harbor County Sheriffs Department says that a masked man in his 30’s blocked the roadway after passing the victim's vehicle, and robbed the victims at gunpoint, demanding cash and their cell phones.

On 1/30/24 at approximately 0800 hours Grays Harbor County deputies were made aware of an armed robbery that had occurred around 0440 hours that morning. Due to a language barrier of the victims the crime was not immediately reported. Deputies interviewed the victims and were advised that as they were traveling westbound on SR 12 near Porter a vehicle that had been following their vehicle passed them and then came to a stop causing the victim vehicle to have to stop in the road behind them. A masked man in his 30’s then got out of the suspect vehicle and robbed the victims at gunpoint demanding cash and their cell phones. The suspect was not familiar to the victims.

Deputies and detectives immediately went to work and were able to identify the suspects and their vehicle through surveillance cameras. It was determined at this time that the suspects were from the Centralia/Chehalis area. Deputies and detectives teamed up with police from the Centralia, WA Police Department and deputies from the Lewis County Sheriff's Office - WA and through the use of Flock license plate reader cameras were able to quickly locate the suspect vehicle in the Centralia area. Centralia Officers arrested the suspect, and he is currently booked into the Grays Harbor County Jail for Robbery first degree, unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree, and possession of a stolen firearm.

Detectives served a search warrant on the suspect vehicle and the firearm used in this incident was recovered as well as the clothing the suspect was wearing at the time of the incident.

The second suspect in this case was also located and interviewed. She was released at the scene and charges have been referred to the prosecutors office on her for being an accomplice to robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree.

The Sheriff’s office is currently in the process of buying several Flock cameras that will be strategically placed through the county to assist local law enforcement locate not only suspects of crimes but also witnesses of crimes, stolen vehicles, missing persons, Amber alerts and vulnerable adults.