PORT ANGELES — Police continued Monday to investigate the robbery of a Port Angeles man at knifepoint — the second such robbery in the city in as many weeks.
But the holdup of the unidentified man on the porch to his East Fifth Street apartment appears to be unrelated to the March 21 holdup — also at knifepoint — of the manager of a restaurant after the restaurateur closed the eatery for the night.
In the latest robbery, the apartment-dweller was robbed by four men brandishing two knives early Sunday morning, Deputy Police Chief Brian Smith said Monday.
The man told police that four men knocked on his apartment door at 805 E. Fifth St., and when he opened it they demanded money, Smith said.
The victim complied, Smith said.
The deputy chief declined to release the resident’s name, but said the man was unhurt.
“There are certain details we’re trying to verify and situations we’re trying to rule in and rule out, so for now there are some things we will withhold,” Smith said.
The robbers, who got away on foot, were described as white men between the ages of 17 and 26, Smith said. None was disguised or masked.
He said there is no evidence that the man knew the robbers, but detectives haven’t ruled that out.
“We don’t have any direct evidence and without that we can’t really speculate,” Smith said.
“We really want people to know about this on a public safety level,” Smith said.
A police officer from Sequim, Mike Hill, and his police dog, Chase, were called to the scene to track the robbers, but did not find them, Smith said.
Police now are looking into whether any surrounding business has a security camera that might give clues to the crime.
“We know for sure one of [the businesses] has a camera,” he said.
“Of course, in this kind of investigation, that is something we always do.
“The officers are always knocking on doors to see if we can look at the tapes and hopefully turn up some clues.
“We take these things very seriously until we can figure it out and make an arrest,” Smith said.
The deputy chief said Sunday’s incident does not appear to be connected to the robbery of Jaime Bautista, manager of Fiesta Jalisco Mexican Restaurant, on March 21, Smith said.
Bautista was robbed by a man brandishing a knife late at night.
In that robbery, the bandit showed the 6-inch knife, demanded money, then grabbed Bautista by the shoulders, struck him to the ground and kicked him several times in the head.
Bautista was hospitalized and released the next day.
His assailant was described as a white man in his late 20s between 5-foot-8 and 6 feet tall.
