Vancouver police investigating string of armed robberies

Police are looking for information about a string of armed robberies this morning, including one in the parking lot of Vancouver’s Grand Central Fred Meyer.

Vancouver police responded at 8:35 a.m. to the parking lot of the store at 2500 Columbia House Blvd. where officers said a customer was robbed at gunpoint.

A man drove up to the victim, pulled out a gun and demanded the person’s purse, according to the Vancouver Police Department. After stealing the victim’s purse, the man drove off. The victim was not injured.

Police describe the robber as a man in his 30s or 40s wearing a yellow jacket and red mask. He was driving a red sports utility vehicle, possibly a Honda Pilot, without license plates.

Investigators believe the robbery is connected to others reported this morning, both in Vancouver city limits and in unincorporated areas of the county under the Clark County Sheriff’s Office’s jurisdiction.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 and request to be transferred to the Clark County police dispatch center.

Officers warn people to use extreme caution if they spot the suspect or his vehicle because the man has been reported to be armed.