WATCH: Washington state woman robbed at gunpoint at ATM amid crime concerns

A Washington state woman was followed at an ATM and robbed at gunpoint amid an ongoing crime crisis on the West Coast.

Surveillance video obtained by FOX 13 showed the robbery at a Bank of America in Parkland, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, on Thursday, September 26th.

The footage shows a figure wearing a ski mask hiding in the shadows as an unsuspecting woman arrives at the bank and withdraws money from the ATM.

After the woman withdrew her money, the suspect emerged from the bushes, approached the woman, held her at gunpoint and demanded her money.

BUSINESS OWNERS IN SEATTLE WARN THAT VIOLENT CRIME HAPPENS ALMOST HOURLY: ‘THIS IS INSANE’

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect retreated wearing a ski mask – along with the victim’s $1,000 and passport.

“This is a random act of violence,” said Sergeant Darren Moss of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

“That makes him extremely dangerous to our community,” he said. “We want to take this person into custody because we don’t want him to do this to anyone else.”

The ATM heist came after local business owners expressed continued concern about the crime crisis.

Pat Callahan, the CEO of Urban Renaissance Group, told the Business Journal that while there have been some improvements, the crime problem still needs to be solved. He claimed that many tenants of his downtown property are considering leaving the area.

“Really, what’s happening now is everything Use of fentanyl brings persistent crime to the area and it continues to fester,” he said.

URG Executive Vice President Shawn Jackson echoed his sentiments, telling the outlet that conditions had become “somewhat extreme.” He revealed that a person recently started a garbage truck fire near the company’s Joshua Green Building.

“This is property damage that happens quite frequently,” he said. “We cannot allow the challenges of several concentrated blocks in our downtown to define our identity.”

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Commercial property agent Tom Graff said the current approach to crime was not working and was “unsustainable”.

The mood of the company manager is determined by the number of Violent Crime in Downtown Seattle decreased by 10% in 2023 compared to 2022. That was the lowest value since 2018.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pierce County Sheriff for comment.

Fox News’ Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.