'Top Notch' serial armed robbery suspect pleads 'not guilty;' held on $1,000,000 bail after firing at officers
CASE UPDATE January 25, 2017 --
Diondrae Brown -- a.k.a. 'Top Notch' -- pleaded 'not guilty' to robbery charges on Wednesday.
He's being held in the King County Jail on $1,000,000 bail.
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CASE UPDATE January 12, 2017 --
Seattle Police say Diondrae Brown aka 'Top Notch' went on a violent crime spree committing six armed robberies in 17 days. King County Prosecutors have charged him with five counts of Robbery in the First Degree, 2 counts of Assault in the 2nd Degree and Attempting to Elude a Police Vehicle.
In the last robbery, detectives say he pulled out a gun and demanded a man's wallet, fired a shot at him and then pistol whipped him numerous times before fleeing with his cell phone. Detectives say Brown was arrested after crashing his Jetta into a parked car when officers tried to pull him over and then firing shots at officers as he tried to escape.
Brown had a warrant for his arrest in California. According to court services, he told officers he recently moved to Washington from California to look for work and was homeless. He has also has criminal history in Nevada and Florida. Brown is being held on $1,000,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on January 25, 2017.
FUGITIVE CAPTURED January 6, 2017 --
Seattle Police say the serial armed robbery suspect who calls him self 'Top Notch' is in custody. The SPD Blotter posted this update, "The suspected armed robber was arrested this afternoon after he held up a man at gunpoint on Rainier Avenue and later fired a shot at officers as they pursued him through the Central District.
Just before 1 PM, police received a report of an armed robbery in the 3300 block of Rainier Avenue South, where the suspect had reportedly brandished a handgun and taken another man’s cellphone. The suspect pistol-whipped the victim and one shot was fired during the incident. No one was hit.
The suspect fled the scene in a silver Volkswagen Jetta*. Officers Christina Bradley and Daniel Aguirre located the car a short time later in the Central District. Coincidentally, East Precinct officers were already present in the area as part of a neighborhood emphasis detail in order to respond to ongoing community concerns.
While leading police on a brief circuitous chase through the neighborhood, the suspect collided with an unoccupied parked car. He then exited his own vehicle at 18th Avenue South and South Dearborn Street, where he fired one shot at Officers Bradley and Aguirre. Police quickly set up a perimeter and contained the area. With nowhere to go, the man surrendered. Neither the suspect nor any officers were injured.
Several schools in the area briefly sheltered in place during the incident. The 29-year-old man will be booked into the King County Jail for the robbery and for firing at officers." Surprisingly, despite the clear surveillance photos of him, there were no tips to Crime Stoppers identifying him.
FUGITIVE WANTED IN SEATTLE January 6, 2017 --
This is 'Top Notch'.
Detectives say he robbed the Moneytree in Lynnwood at gunpoint on Dec. 20th.
He is a serial armed robber who police are trying to identify.
Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 cash reward for his name.
The images above are from two of his bank robberies in Seattle.
Detectives say he is armed with a silver handgun that he brandishes during the heists.
He has a scar on the left side of his face, unknown tattoo on his left neck and dreadlocks.
He Often wears a black Nike hooded sweat shirt.
He is said to be driving a teal colored 4-door Honda and is with a white female named 'Christine.' She is 5'6", with a medium-heavy build and shoulder length brown hair.
If you know his real name, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, download the P3 Tips App on your smart phone to submit your information, or go to wmw.p3tips.com