Man dubbed “the sweatpants robber” arrested by Bellevue police

Antonio Aaron is supected of nine different robberies across East King County.

A 58-year-old man suspected in eight robberies and one attempted robbery is behind bars following an extensive investigation. Bellevue police detectives arrested Antonio Aaron, dubbed the “sweatpants robber,” as he frequently wore sweatpants and slippers during the robberies.

Investigators say Aaron robbed Key Bank, the Residence Inn, and Hampton Inn in Bellevue and attempted to rob the Silver Cloud. He’s also accused of robberies in Bothell, Kirkland, Issaquah and Redmond, for a total of nine cases. All but one robbery occurred between October 21-29.

Aaron was arrested on October 30.

“This was a very dangerous situation. The suspect approached the clerks, indicated he had a gun under his shirt, and threatened to kill them if they didn’t hand over cash,” said Bellevue Police Investigations Captain Joe Nault. “While he never brandished a weapon, we feared his behavior could escalate as the robberies were becoming increasingly more frequent.”

The King County Prosecutor’s office has charged Aaron with the Hampton Inn robbery and he is in jail on $200,000 bail. Charges are pending in the other eight cases.

His next court appearance is his arraignment, where a plea is entered. That is scheduled for 8:30 am Nov. 17 in room E1201A of the King County Courthouse.