Man Arrested After Scary Incident at Yakima Walmart

Yakima Police have arrested a man for robbery after they say he stole a families car at gunpoint at a Yakima Walmart store. Police say the incident was reported at about 8:30 pm Monday at the Walmart on Chestnut Avenue.

Capt. Jay Seely says when Officers arrived they found a man who told them his kids were waiting in the car for him while he was shopping at Walmart. He told police while shopping he received a call from his young daughter saying a man was in their car with a gun telling her to be quiet. The suspect started the car and drove around the parking lot before dropping the girl and her brother off near the store.

They walked back to the store to find their father and speak with police to give a description of the suspect. Hours later A Union Gap Officer spotted the man driving the stolen vehicle. The man stopped the vehicle and ran away before being caught and taken into custody. A passenger in the vehicle was also arrested on multiple felonies and outstanding warrants. Both are being held in the in the Yakima County jail.

Authorities urge parents to not leave kids unattended in vehicles especially if the vehicle is in operation or the keys are available. Last year local authorities arrested a man who stole a vehicle with a baby sitting in the back seat from the parking lot of a local post office. The baby was found unharmed and the man was arrested in the lower valley while driving the stolen vehicle. Police are hoping to avoid that kind of situation in the future.