Footprints in the snow led to a Kennewick family being mistaken for an armed robber causing Kennewick police and the regional SWAT team  to circle their house and put them in handcuffs.

Wednesday, Dec. 27, police got reports of an armed robbery at the City Market Mini Mart in Kennewick.

A shorter Hispanic male in his older teens to 20's entered the store. He appears to be of smaller stature and wearing dark pants, gray hoodie, and white tennis shoes.

He displayed a handgun, and took cash from the clerk.

Police followed footprints from the store to a nearby home on Third Avenue and South Rainier Street, according to news reports.

Rodimiro Nuñez and his mother-in-law, Nancy Gomez were inside the house and cooperated with police.

"I was mostly shocked because I was like, none of us did nothing in the house, so what possibly could we have done that we're being pulled out by gunpoint?" said Nuñez to news reports,

Nuñez had gone to the same store earlier leaving the tracks the police followed thinking they were made by the suspect.

"When I initially went to the City Market, I went to go buy snacks and my footprints were still in the snow and that's one of the main reasons why they thought it was me." said Rodimiro Nuñez.

A witness later reported they saw the suspect get picked up by a black SUV and leave the scene.

Detectives are investigating.

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