Lakewood Bank Robber Bought Groceries Before Arrest

LAKEWOOD, WA — The man who allegedly robbed a Lakewood bank on Monday — and was arrested shortly afterward — reportedly told officers he was homeless, that he used the stolen money to buy groceries, and that he only committed the robbery to get off the streets, according to court documents obtained by Patch.

Shannon Levar Stewart, 41, is currently facing charges for first degree robbery, a Class A felony punishable with up to life imprisonment and/or a $50,000 fine. His arraignment is set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Pierce County.

Lakewood police were reportedly dispatched just after 3:30 p.m. July 8 to the strong-arm robbery at Heritage Bank, located at 10318 Gravelly Lake Dr. S.W. The victim teller told investigators the suspect had come into the bank that afternoon and walked directly toward her at the counter, where he passed her a handwritten note that read: "This is a ROBBary give me money no GPS or DyE packs and no one wiLL get hurt," court documents state.

Fearful for her own safety, the teller reportedly opened her cash drawer and handed the suspect multiple bills, which the suspect pocketed before turning and leaving the bank without further incident.

After bank employees called 911 to report the robbery, investigators arrived and quickly collected video evidence, including images of the suspect, which were quickly disseminated to nearby patrol officers.

Within 20 minutes of the alert's broadcast, the suspect was reportedly contacted at the Lakewood Transit Center, roughly half-a-mile from the bank. After two witnesses positively identified Stewart as the suspected bank robber, he agreed to speak with investigators, court documents state.

Stewart reportedly told police he was homeless and wanted to get off the streets, so he wrote the note and gave it to the teller, noting he'd never before tried to rob a bank. After taking the money from the teller, Stewart said he went to the Safeway across the street and spent $30 on groceries "because he was hungry," court documents state.

After purchasing the groceries, Stewart said he thought about hailing a taxi but instead opted to walk to the bus stop, where he was ultimately caught.