Bail set for father, daughter accused of robbing Macy’s with bear mace, eluding police
A father and daughter accused of robbing an Olympia Macy’s with bear mace are being held in Thurston County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail each.
The alleged Dec. 1 robbery led to a car chase that reached the Mounts Road I-5 exit in Pierce County, the Olympian previously reported.
Thurston County Superior Court Judge Mary Sue Wilson set the bail amount for Troy Admiral Humphrey, 57, on Friday, Dec. 3. Court Commissioner Rebekah Zinn set the bail amount for his daughter, Tayja Irene Humphrey, 29, on Monday, Dec. 6.
Troy Humphrey faces a first-degree robbery charge; Tayja Humphrey has been charged with first-degree robbery, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle with special allegations, and hit-and-run attended vehicle.
An affidavit of probable cause describes the events of Dec. 1 from the perspective of law enforcement.
Olympia police responded to the Macy’s at Capital Mall at about 7 p.m. Dec. 1 after a loss prevention employee called 911. The employee told dispatch he confronted three people he believed were shoplifting only to find himself in a physical fight with bear mace, per the affidavit.
Police interviewed the employee when they arrived. The affidavit says he told police he saw a man stuffing clothing items with security tags into a brown shopping bag.
The employee tried to take the bag away from the man, per the affidavit, but the bag ripped, and the clothes fell on the ground. The man then reportedly fought the employee “to the ground.”
Two women backed up the man and all three allegedly threatened to spray the employee with mace, according to the affidavit. Both women also reportedly carried bags full of items.
By this point, the employee had retreated from the fight and watched the man recover some of the items that fell to the ground. All three exited the Macy’s out of the south door and entered two separate vehicles, per the affidavit.
The employee then called 911 and followed the trio to photograph their vehicles. However, the affidavit says the man and one of the women exited their vehicle.
Both the man and woman allegedly sprayed bear mace at the employee and into the air. The male then entered a white GMC sports utility vehicle while the woman entered a blue sports utility vehicle.
The other woman, who did not use the mace on the employee, drove the man in the white vehicle while the woman in the blue vehicle drove away in a different direction, according to the affidavit.
Police did not follow the blue vehicle, per the affidavit, but they did pursue the white vehicle. At the intersection of Cooper Point Road Southwest and Capital Mall Drive, the affidavit says the driver of the white vehicle disregarded a red traffic signal, struck another motorist and sped away.
The affidavit describes the collision as “minor.” Lt. Paul Lower with the Olympia Police Department previously told the Olympian no one was injured in the collision.
Police pursued the white vehicle as it traveled onto Highway 101 and later onto northbound I-5. The affidavit says police saw the vehicle travel at speeds between 75-100 miles per hour in the far-left and middle lanes.
Thurston County deputies took over the pursuit as the vehicle entered Pierce County. However, the vehicle soon exited via Mounts Road and came to a stop.
Law enforcement identified the man as Troy Humphrey and the driver as Tayja Humphrey. Both were detained “without incident,” according to the affidavit.
In speaking to police, the affidavit says Troy Humphrey shared a different version of events. He reportedly said he intended to purchase the clothing, but the loss prevention employee threw him to the ground and used bear mace on him.
He said he and his daughter did not stop when police requested because they are afraid of police. Tayja Humphrey shared a similar story, per the affidavit, adding her father told her not to stop for the police.
Officers looked through the white vehicle with a search warrant and found a can of bear mace and clothing items worth $1,642, according to the affidavit.
Both Humphreys are due back in court on Dec. 14 for their arraignment hearings.
The Olympian has reached out to Olympia Police for more information on the whereabouts of the second woman involved in the alleged robbery, but has not yet received a response.
This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
