Masked men brave snow, rob Highway 99 Taco Bell

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after two masked men robbed the Salmon Creek Taco Bell at gunpoint early Thursday.

Deputies were dispatched shortly before 3 a.m. to an alarm at Taco Bell, 13204 N.E. Highway 99. While deputies were en route, a restaurant employee called 911 from a nearby convenience store to report being robbed at gunpoint.

Three Taco Bell employees saw two men approaching the restaurant’s lobby doors while wearing masks. One of the employees tried to lock the doors but was unable to reach them in time, according to the sheriff’s office’s preliminary investigation.

One of the robbers pulled out a firearm and pointed it at the employees. They then ordered two of the employees to get down on the floor, while the third opened the safe. After emptying the safe, the robbers demanded the employees hand over both store phones and their cellphones, the sheriff’s office said.

The robbers were then seen running to a restaurant parking lot, where they climbed into an older model, dark-colored pickup with a matching canopy and Oregon license plates. Investigators said the pickup may be similar to a mid-1990s Ford F-150. They then drove away on the snowy, icy roads.

One of the suspects was described as a white man in his 20s, with blond hair, light blue eyes and long eyelashes. He was wearing all-black clothing and a black ski mask and carried a black backpack. The other suspect was described as a white man in his late 40s or 50s, with a mustache. He was wearing a dark-colored ball cap, all-dark clothing and a wallet chain hanging from his right side.

The incident remains under investigation. Anyone who has information should contact Deputy Elijah Page at elijah.page@clark.wa.gov or call 311.