(WSB photo: Police after the robbery, about a block north of the dispensary)
Two days after an armed robbery at a medical-marijuana dispensary in the 5400 block of California SW (original Saturday night WSB coverage here), the three suspects made initial court appearances this afternoon. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says the adult suspect, 24, has bail set at $500,000; the 15- and 16-year-old boys who also were arrested have been ordered to “remain in secure detention.” The KCPAO has until Wednesday to file charges or set the suspects free. We’ll add to this story shortly with details from the court documents accompanying word of today’s hearing.
ADDED 5:31 PM UPDATE: We’re transcribing the court document (minus any suspect/witness names), after the jump:
On Saturday, 3-19-11, at approximately 1800 hrs, suspects (juvenile 1), (juvenile 2) and (adult) entered the Game Medical Marijuana Dispensary, located at 5437 California Avenue SW in the City of Seattle with the intent of committing an armed robbery. Upon entering the facility, suspects (juvenile 1) and (adult) pulled out semi-automatic pistols, taking aim at two dispensary employees and three customers.
The victims were forced to the floor at gunpoint and subsequently had their hands tied with zipties. (Juvenile 1) went behind the counter and removed the cash from the cash register while suspects (Juvenile 2) and (adult) robbed the victims of their wallets, cellular telephones, vehicle keys as well as removing the medical marijuana from the shelves and storage cabinets. (All three suspects) ran from the dispensary. It should be noted that (witness…) who has (a business nearby) heard the armed robbery taking place and set off an audible alarm and telephoned 911 and reported this incident. Seattle Police Department (SPD) uniformed officers were being dispatched during the robbery.
Victims (three names) managed to get their zipties off their hands and exited the dispensary. Once outside, they observed the three suspects running south from the scene. Suspects (juveniles) ran (bound?) on California Avenue SW in the 5400 block while suspect (adult) ran south in the alley to the west of California Avenue SW. (Two victims) followed (juvenile suspects) in (victim’s) pickup truck while (victim) followed suspect (adult) in his vehicle. (Victims) flagged down the responding officers and pointed out (juvenile suspects), who were subsequently taken into custody.
(Victim), while driving southbound in the alley to the west of California Avenue SW, observed some of the bags of Medical Marijuana and a loaded semi-automatic pistol on the ground. (Victim) stopped his vehicle and began to pick up the Medical Marijuana and place it into his vehicle. As (Victim) was collecting the stolen property, he observed suspect (adult) running northbound in the alley directly at him. It was apparent to (victim) that (adult suspect) was returning to collect the stolen Medical Marijuana and the semi-automatic pistol that he had discarded. (Suspect), fearing for his safety, picked up the semi-automatic pistol that was on the ground and took aim at (adult suspect) who was now approximately ten feet from him. (Victim) ordered (suspect) to the ground. (Adult suspect) complied with (victim’s) orders and laid down on the ground. (Victim) sat on (adult suspect) until SPD Officers arrived.
(Juvenile suspect), post-Miranda, confessed to being armed with a .22 caliber pistol and removing the cash from the cash register. More …
According to the probable-cause document, the adult suspect is from Northgate, the two teenagers from Des Moines. The adult has an assault conviction (we researched that earlier – it involves an attack on a Metro bus driver near Shoreline Community College almost two years ago); the 15-year-old suspect has a record described as “dangerous weapon” and “assault”; there is nothing listed for the 16-year-old.
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