(SPD dash-cam image from charging documents, showing pursued vehicle knocking down road markers)
10:40 AM: The three teenagers arrested Monday night after a police pursuit that followed three West Seattle incidents are now charged.
All three are scheduled for arraignment at 1:30 pm today on three charges each, according to the documents we received from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office early this morning. We are not naming them because they are charged as juveniles. Each is charged with one count of first-degree attempted robbery and one count of second-degree robbery; Suspects #1 and #3, 14 and 16 years old, are each charged with second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission, while suspect #2, 14, is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle.
The narrative in the charging documents says the three calls came in to 911 within the span of eight minutes just before 10 pm on Monday – first 2800 block of Alki, then 59th/Admiral, then 5700 block of Beach Drive. All listed similar descriptions of the people involved and a “silver vehicle.” One officer saw a silver Hyundai U-turning on Beach Drive while he was responding to the Beach Drive call – the victim pointed to it and he asked “is that them?” – and the pursuit began shortly after that. The driver – allegedly 14-year-old Suspect #1 (identified later via a specific piece of clothing seen on dash-cam video) – subsequently led officers on a chase at – as we reported that night – speeds up to 90 mph, before police deployed a “tire deflator device,” which led to them stopping and running near the north end of Boeing Field.
Here’s what the victims told police about what happened: In the 2800 block of Alki, he left his workplace and crossed the street to his parked car, and when starting to open it was approached by a masked person who said “give me your car, I have a gun.” He closed and locked his car and ran away back to his workplace to call 911.
At 59th/Admiral, three minutes later, a woman had just parked near her home and was responding to a text message when someone started banging on her car windows. She backed out of the space in a panic – reportedly hitting the suspects’ car in the process; as she drove away, she told police, they pursued her, but she lost them.
In the 5700 block of Beach Drive, the victim had just walked back to her car after viewing Christmas lights when “three males … swarmed” her, police wrote, demanding “give me the keys, give me the car.” One went into her car and stole her phone as well as one belonging to a friend who had accompanied her. She fled to a nearby house, tried to seek help “but was unsuccessful,” went back to her car figuring they were gone, but they weren’t; she said one grabbed her legs and threatened to shoot her, before they took her key fob and fled. Police were on the way because a witness had called, hearing the victim scream.
The charging documents do not include information about where the suspects live. Online records do not show previous cases for any of them. They continue to be held in juvenile detention; that will be reviewed again when they are arraigned this afternoon, and we’ll update.
8:50 PM: All pleaded not guilty at their arraignments today, and Judge Nelson Lee ordered all three to remain in juvenile detention. That will be reviewed again when they return to court January 3rd.
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