Surveillance video shows man shooting out windows, burglarizing mall

PUYALLUP, Wash. -- A Pierce County judge set bail at $200,000 against a 22-year-old Milton man for his alleged crime spree at the South Hill Mall in Puyallup.

Surveillance video released by police shows the suspect walking store to store, shooting out windows and bagging expensive clothes and shoes.

Puyallup Police say just before 6 a.m. Tuesday, cameras caught the 22-year-old suspect breaking through a ceiling and into a store at the mall.

And while a chain door kept him from escaping the store, glass windows didn’t stand a chance against his pistol.

“The use of a firearm in that manner to gain entry is really unusual,” said Ryan Portmann from the Puyallup Police Department. “I don’t know that I’ve seen that in my career.”

Police say this spree happened just before early-morning employees would have been filling the mall.

The suspect was caught in the parking lot trying to get away in a BMW, according to court docs. Police had been alerted to the incident after people waiting at a nearby bus stop heard the gunfire and called 911.

Court documents say the suspect damaged a pair of air conditioning units to get into the mall. The man caused more than $10,000 in damage and stole more than $15,000 worth of property.

“We’re very fortunate that no one was hurt and we’re very fortunate it didn’t end with officers having to use force,” said Portmann.

Q13 News has not named or aired pictures of the suspect’s face because he has yet to be officially charged with a crime – but prosecutors say that could happen as early as Thursday.