Three Hoquiam-area men were arrested and are now in the Grays Harbor County Jail for an alleged gang-related armed robbery in Ocean Shores.
Ocean Shores Police Chief Mike Styner said the robbery occurred about 11:53 p.m. on Sunday (Jan. 8), when a clerk at the Ocean Market reported a group of males had stolen a hat and left in a small black car. While an officer was taking the robbery report, a 25-year old Ocean Shores man walked up and reported he had been robbed at knife point by three men in a small black car. “The officer quickly determined that these were the same suspects, and the victim of the robbery had been with the group when the hat was stolen,” Styner said in a news release.
“The victim reported that one of the men put a knife to his throat, and all three ordered him to empty his pockets. They also threatened to kill him as an initiation into the Bloods street gang.”
The suspect vehicle was stopped by the State Patrol on State Route 109. Evidence of both the theft and the robbery were located, and all three men were arrested. Drugs were also found in possession of one of the suspects, the news release said.
The suspects are a 46-year old Hoquiam man, a 21-year old Hoquiam man, and a 34-year old man who stated he is transient but staying in the Hoquiam area.
All three were arrested for investigation of first-degree robbery 1 and felony harassment.
Phone scam reported
Telephone scammers are again targeting Grays Harbor PUD customers, threatening to shut off their power if payments are not immediately made on accounts they claim are delinquent. PUD Customer Service staff have received several calls from commercial customers reporting they had been contacted by callers claiming to be with the PUD and demanding immediate payment.
“If you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the PUD, call our customer service office to verify your account status before you make any payment,” said Customer Service Manager Katy Moore. “These scams only work when people volunteer their personal information.”
Recipients of such fraudulent phone calls and mailings should under no circumstances agree to send money to the callers or give them bank account, credit card or other information. Rather, they are advised to contact PUD Customer Service at (360) 532-4220 to verify the claim and to contact the office of their local law enforcement agency.
