Vancouver man accused of multiple robberies at knifepoint

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man has been arrested for allegedly committing a series of robberies at knifepoint at various stores in Vancouver, Washington in the last few months.

The Clark County Sheriff's Office announced that after Vancouver Police officers responded to "multiple armed robberies" on Friday, they finally located and arrested a suspect, 56-year-old Vancouver resident Shawn Short.

The arrest came after police and sheriff's deputies spotted someone matching the description of the robber, later identified as Short, leaving the area in a white Honda Pilot, a vehicle that matched the description of a car that had been identified as allegedly involved in previous robberies back in April and May.

The Vancouver Police Department charged Short with two counts of second-degree robbery for the alleged crimes that occurred on Friday afternoon. The Clark County Sheriff's Office did not say what stores were robbed.

The next day, Saturday, June 15, CCSO charged Short with four more first-degree robbery charges and one count of second-degree assault for the alleged series of crimes he committed back in April and May, including robberies at a Starbucks inside a Safeway store, a Walgreens and a Target store.

The first alleged robbery occurred on April 8 at the Starbucks store in the Safeway at 13023 NE Highway 99. During that event, authorities said the man displayed a large knife and demanded money from the cash register. He left on foot after employees gave him the money. He was described as a white man with blue eyes donning a black surgical-style mask over his face.

Then on April 9, a man matching that same description allegedly robbed the Target store on Mill Plain Boulevard.

On April 11, the sheriff's office said two robberies happened back-to-back involving a suspect matching the same description as before. One happened at 12:33 p.m. when the suspect robbed a Starbucks inside of a Safeway at 13023 NE Highway 99. Then at 2:18 p.m., another store was robbed, the Walgreens at 8511 NE 162nd Ave.

During the April 11 Starbucks robbery, an employee was knocked to the ground by the suspect as he was fleeing. The person was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. The sheriff’s office said the ordeal at the Safeway activated a “heavy police presence,” including deputies conducting searches using K9 units and an unmanned aircraft system.

Short is currently lodged at the Clark County Jail. The white Honda Pilot car was also seized by law enforcement on the authority of a search warrant. Officials said the investigation is ongoing.