Clark County deputies arrest couple suspected of robbing 10 banks, including in Salmon Creek

A man and woman arrested Wednesday morning have confessed to robbing, among other things, a bank in Salmon Creek, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives arrested Andrew Bekman, 31, and Amira Askew, 28, on suspicion of first-degree robbery. The two are suspects in more than 10 bank robberies in Washington and Oregon, dating back to June, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.

The Southwest Washington Regional SWAT team executed a search warrant Wednesday at a home in Battlegrounds, where investigators found clothing matching those worn during several robberies, as well as firearms, ballistic vests, vehicles stolen and a note with the words: “This is a robbery. . I have a gun. Empty your house,” according to the statement.

According to the news release, Bekman and Askew confessed to robbing the Umpqua Bank in Salmon Creek, along with others.

Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded around 4:40 p.m. Nov. 7 to the Umpqua Bank, 2515 NE 134th St., just east of the Interstate 205 exit ramp.

The bank reported that a man and a woman wearing medical masks robbed the bank. Bank staff said the man implied he had a gun. In a surveillance photo, the man can be seen reaching into his jacket for something, the sheriff’s office said.

The man and woman left the bank with an unknown amount of cash. No one was injured.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office released a photo of the suspects after the robbery. A tip from a member of the public helped identify both suspects and led the Clark County Sheriff’s Office to the Battle Ground home, according to the news release.