FOLLOWUP: West Seattle robbery suspects arrested after South Park-area pursuit

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

10:51 AM: Last night, we brought you first word that a short pursuit by Southwest Precinct officers in the South Park area resulted in arrests linked to robberies in West Seattle. Police have just released more information via this SPD Blotter post:

Eight suspects were arrested late Thursday afternoon in a stolen vehicle after a short pursuit by officers in South Park.

Just before 4:00 pm officers saw a silver 2006 Hyundai Sonata that matched the description of a suspect vehicle used in a robbery in West Seattle earlier that morning. The same vehicle description also eluded officers when they attempted to pull it over on Wednesday. Officers attempted to stop the Sonata, but it fled from the marked patrol vehicle. Officers attempted to pull over the car using emergency lights and sirens, but the driver of the Sonata kept driving at a high rate of speed until the driver lost control and struck a curb, causing the vehicle to stop near the intersection of South 96th Street and Des Moines Memorial Drive South.

Officers quickly arrested the eight individuals inside the car, which turned out to be a reported stolen vehicle from Kent. The Seattle Fire Department also responded to evaluate and treat the suspects that were exhibiting the effects of drug consumption. One of the suspects was transported to Harborview Medical Center from the scene and the remaining seven were transported to the Southwest Precinct. Three of the suspects were later transported to the hospital for drug related issues. The Hyundai was impounded from the scene.

Detectives responded to the Southwest Precinct and began their investigation. The suspects are believed to be involved in a series of robberies of convenience stores in West Seattle. The driver, a 19-year-old male, was later booked into the King County Jail for robbery and eluding. A 17-year-old male was later booked into the Youth Services Center (YSC) for robbery and drug charges, and a 15-year-old male was also booked into YSC for robbery.

The remaining suspects, two juvenile females and three juvenile males, were released to the custody of their parents.

We’re working to find out which robberies are believed to be linked to these suspects.

11:13 AM: Just talked with Det. Mark Jamieson at SPD. Two of the cases happened yesterday – a robbery at the 7-11 on Harbor Ave., and a holdup attempt at the 41st/Admiral Chevron. Detectives are still looking into others. The 19-year-old suspect does not appear to have a felony record, at least not in this state; he wasn’t booked into jail until early this morning, so his bail hearing might not be held today, but we’ll be tracking the case.

10:51 PM: The adult suspect won’t have a bail hearing until Saturday. Two juvenile suspects went to court this afternoon. Documents say one is 17 and an Admiral resident; he is accused of being one of two who allegedly held up the Admiral 7-11 twice this week – early Tuesday and early Wednesday. During the Tuesday holdup, the police report says, this suspect was wearing a mask, possibly a “white Halloween clown type.” His alleged accomplice in both robberies is a 15-year-old from Tukwila.

Chuck October 21, 2016 (11:05 am)

Wow. I was just driving a Sonata on business. It seats 5. Can we presume that along with other charges the driver was cited for reckless endangerment–or at least three seatbelt infractions? I’m kind of kidding, but not really. Eight passengers in that car at a high rate of speed–with likely no one wearing seatbelts–was a recipe for disaster. On top of all the robberies, the top clown in this clown car is lucky he’s not up for involuntary manslaughter after hitting a tree or such. HUGE kudos to the SPD for getting these morons off the street in one piece. And to their parents: Try harder. So far, you’re failing.

erm October 21, 2016 (1:09 pm)

I was kind of stuck on the eight people crammed into a sedan detail myself. They may all be teens, but that’s an awful lot of arms and legs squeezed in to a limited space.

McGruff October 21, 2016 (11:33 am)

Bravo to the SPD for a righteous collar! 8 hopped-up punks in a Hyundai? Sounds like the ‘clown car’ from heck! They’re lucky it didn’t catch fire or something; that scene had all the potential to end in a truly horrific way.

Hopefully, most of these juvies will learn from this and make a major course correction in their lives, but odds are they won’t. Punks usually stay punks, sadly.

dsa October 21, 2016 (12:18 pm)

Hopefully the five released will realize it was not fun.

Chris October 21, 2016 (2:09 pm)

Give it 24 hours, the kids will all be released and back at it. Cops pick them up and the judges hug them and send them on their way. Wonder if they are local to West Seattle or from a different part of town.

WSB October 21, 2016 (2:16 pm)

We’ll know where the 19-year-old is from when probable cause documents are available (that might not be this afternoon since he wasn’t booked until this morning; I have an inquiry out with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office) but not likely the juveniles.
- WSB October 21, 2016 (9:54 pm)
  
  Update on this … the adult suspect’s bail hearing isn’t until Saturday but two juveniles had hearings today. I’m still sorting out the various documents received from KCPAO but one suspect lives in Admiral and one in Tukwila. The documents also indicate that in addition to the two Thursday robbery cases, they are indeed also suspected in the Admiral 7-11 holdup earlier in the week.
McGruff October 21, 2016 (3:27 pm)

Well, the car was stolen in Kent. I’m guessing at least some of the kids are from there, as I have a hard time thinking kids will go on a ‘field trip’ to Kent for a car. That said, as we know, Alki is a magnet for little thugs from all over. I’m thinking the scenario is this: Kent kids boost a car, come to Alki to hang out, get high, and decide it will be fun to try to knock over some businesses and score more money for drugs.

Steve October 21, 2016 (3:45 pm)

And to think the city council is more concerned about ridiculous legislation such as first qualified applicant; setting employers work scheduling; pronto bikes; homelessness camps in public parks and sidewalks; they need to work on public safety and hire more officers!

WSB October 21, 2016 (3:53 pm)

Actually, they are working on public safety. We reported some of the proposals during the budget meetings. Great time to reiterate support for additional officers – there are 70+ in the budget for the next two years, along with some other things including money to make sure each precinct’s crime-prevention coordinator is devoted to that precinct alone. (Ours and one of the three others has to handle double duty.)

https://westseattleblog.com/2016/10/your-money-city-council-continues-budget-review-spd-sdot-opcd-today/
Andy October 22, 2016 (5:13 am)

What good will more officers do when these young criminals will just be slapped on the wrists? What needs to happen is to put pressure on Olympia in order to create some real laws that aren’t touchy feeley and will have some teeth. But, I won’t hold my breath waiting for something like that to happen. Instead, these young miscreants, most likely, will be doing the same things, shortly, except they will have added to their own misguided self esteem.

Jim October 21, 2016 (5:33 pm)

Saw several police cars in the area as I left work. New something was up. As I approached the Concord Elementary school zone on 8th South I heard a police siren coming from the blind corner at Director St. I eased up on the throttle, and sure enough a Hyundai blasts through the stop sign and turned into my path. I swerved off the road stopping just short of a parked car. A few moments later, and the chase would have stopped right in that intersection with the car plowing under my truck!

Sorry, comment time is over.