UPDATE: Deputies, police, helicopter search for White Center robbery suspects in south Highland Park

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2:13 PM: Thanks for all the tips about Guardian One circling over south Highland Park and a police response on the ground. We’re working to find out what led to this and will update shortly.

2:18 PM: KCSO seems to be the lead agency and a deputy tells us on the ground that they’re looking for robbery suspects. Four, according to dispatch. We don’t yet know where the robbery was.

2:34 PM: ~~A commenter says the robbery was at 16th/107th in White Center~~; we’re going that way to check. Meantime, the ground search is focused near 12th/Barton (added photo above).

2:58 PM: The mini-mart on that corner told us it wasn’t them. (And the commenter now says that was a mistaken reference to a robbery earlier this year.) We have an inquiry out to KCSO’s media team.

3:19 PM: Finally found the incident in archived KCSO dispatch audio. The robbery was at the Top to Bottom clothing store in White Center, 9651 15th SW. The robber(s) were armed and got away with ~$500 worth of clothing. Still listening for more details.

3:43 PM: A tip led officers to detain at least one suspect at/near 15th/Roxbury. Seattle Police are involved again because in this case it started with a reported sighting on SW Cambridge.

3:55 PM: KCSO has provided a bit more information – the armed robbery was reported around 1:30 pm, with four people “reported to have entered the business at that location, displayed guns and stole about $500.00 worth of merchandise … 2 persons were detained close to the area in connection with the robbery, but it is not 100% sure if they were involved at this time. No injuries were reported and no firearms recovered as of yet. Some clothing items that have belonged to the suspects were recovered in the surrounding neighborhood. These were confiscated as evidence.”

4 PM: KCSO update on the previous two detainees: “The two detained were released as there was no evidence, or witnesses that could say they were 100% involved.”

WC worker July 12, 2023 (2:18 pm)

Robbery at the corner of 107th and 16th in WC

WSB July 12, 2023 (2:26 pm)

Thanks, we’re still catching up with all the details and deputies/officers on the ground won’t tell us much.
- WC Worker July 12, 2023 (2:42 pm)
  
  Sorry that robbery is from May.
  - WSB July 12, 2023 (2:59 pm)
    
    OK, makes more sense. We covered that one.
- Tim D July 12, 2023 (3:48 pm)
  
  Great work as usual, thank you!

Gw July 12, 2023 (2:22 pm)

Circling around 13th Ave sw and Barton st

RogerThat July 12, 2023 (2:25 pm)

It seems like they’ve been circling for the last 25 minutes. I’m only a few blocks away in Highland Park.

Jesse July 12, 2023 (2:28 pm)

They’ve got a drone out and have a couple police cars parked outside our house.

Randy&Barb78 July 12, 2023 (3:20 pm)

Not a fan of drones myself. Always buzzing around spoiling the park for me.
- Seejaypee July 12, 2023 (7:07 pm)
  
  Drones are a fact of life, the same way airplanes and helicopters are. They pose no threat to anyone and are regulated by the FAA. If youre overly concerned about the progress of civiization, contact your local city/state/congressional rep.
- Mike July 14, 2023 (10:21 am)
  
  Better than being a victim of crime

WCcoug July 12, 2023 (2:37 pm)

Pretty sure these 4 passed me SW and Cambridge and 17th shortly after this occurred, they were heading north towards 16th.

Rhonda July 12, 2023 (2:41 pm)

It’s nice to see the robber(s) being swarmed by Guardian One and a big ground response instead of the easy, clean getaways we’ve seen in recent years. I hope there’s an arrest soon.

Pat July 12, 2023 (2:50 pm)

Did this happen to people on the street or a company?

Maggie July 12, 2023 (3:09 pm)

A business, according to my husband who talked to one of the cops outside my house!

Peter K July 12, 2023 (3:07 pm)

Chopper is now gone. Neighbor’s theory is that it needed to refuel. Cops not visibly blocking road anymore but by some reports still in neighborhood yards.

WSB July 12, 2023 (3:13 pm)

They’ve downsized the response. I don’t believe the helicopter will be returning unless there’s a reason (new clue of suspect/s’ whereabouts). Still waiting for info from KCSO, also trying to wade through archived audio from their frequency.

A neighbor July 12, 2023 (3:19 pm)

They spent quite awhile doing a heavily armed search with dog of multiple yards at 11th and Cambridge awhile ago but have since cleared out. Still seeing KC Sheriff cars driving around, as well as cars from other departments, including Seatac, oddly.

WSB July 12, 2023 (3:24 pm)

The other departments are all part of KCSO so that’s why at a big KCSO response you’ll see cars marked with other logos – including transit police. Meantime, we found the original robbery dispatch, added above.

Question Mark July 12, 2023 (3:40 pm)

Also, KCSO operates the only local police helicopter in the county.

John July 12, 2023 (3:53 pm)

As of 3pm the cops on our block said they had 2 of 4 suspects in custody…any info on whether the new report of a suspect in custody is the 3rd detainee?

WSB July 12, 2023 (3:58 pm)

Potentially a third – I’ve just added info from KCSO indicating they detained two people earlier (but detained doesn’t necessarily mean arrested). .. Update: And indeed, KCSO told us minutes later that the original two were released for lack of evidence.

Sorry, comment time is over.