Security guard kidnapped during Tumwater armed cannabis heist

TUMWATER, Wash. — Seven criminals, an overnight heist, and a kidnapping. It sounds like the plot of a movie but instead, it was a morning in Tumwater.

It happened on April 5th, at a cannabis growing facility in Thurston County.

Surveillance video shows one by one as the suspects rushing in the facility. Police say they smashed a window and then made their way inside.

“It seems like they’re getting more brazen. The acts are becoming even more volatile. And it’s becoming more frequent,” says Lt. Jen Kolb with the Tumwater Police Department about the recent crime. “It’s kind of the state of where we’re out right now.”

Lt. Kolbe says the surveillance video only tells part of the story.

While four people are ransacking the product facility, three more were outside kidnapping a security guard, who was trying to prevent the theft.

“I think he made the best decision he could make in that situation. Because he was outnumbered in that situation,” says Lt. Kolbe.

Lt. Kolbe says the suspects were armed, giving the security guard little choice but to comply.  They forced him into the back of his car and drove him miles down the road. The suspects eventually let the security guard go, but not before stealing his car.

Though the group’s theft didn’t stop there.

“My understanding it was 10s of thousands of dollars’ worth of products,” says Lt. Kolbe.

The owner of the facility tells KIRO 7 the biggest loss isn’t monetary, it’s their sense of security, as they wait for these suspects to be identified and caught.

As for the security guard, he’s shaken but now safe.

“He didn’t sustain any injuries, but it’s a traumatizing situation, so I’m sure he’ll be dealing with the trauma as a result of that as anybody would,” says Lt. Kolbe.

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