Detectives Investigate Pair Of University Place Carjackings

UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA — Law enforcement is alerting everyone living in or around University Place to be on the lookout after two reported carjackings in recent days. According to the sheriff's department, a woman called 911 on Monday night after she was pulled from a car by a man and woman in a Safeway parking lot. The victim told investigators she was waiting in the passenger seat while her friend was shopping.

University Place Police said the pair fled in the stolen Kia Forte. It was later found following a hit-and-run crash on Ainsworth Avenue in Tacoma.

Suspect descriptions:

Suspect 1: Described as a black man in his 20s, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall with a medium build, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.
Suspect 2: Described as a black woman in her 20s, approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, with a heavier build and long, dark curly hair.

Investigators said another woman called 911 Thursday night after she was robbed while parallel parking in front of a real estate office along Market Place West. She said a man opened her door and ordered her to get out of the car. When she tried to grab her purse, the man threatened to shoot her. It is unknown if he had a weapon. The man left the scene in the woman's 2013 Subaru Outback, which is still missing.

Detectives said the victim's description of the suspect in the second case aligned closely with the man described Monday.The victim told investigators the man was walking along the road with an unknown person before the carjacking.

The sheriff's department said it was unknown if the two carjackings were connected to an armed robbery at the Panagiotu Pension Advisors building Monday morning. A woman said a masked man in a black hooded sweatshirt followed her into the building before demanding her purse at gunpoint.