CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Teen sentenced after guilty plea in purse-snatch robbery

| Crime | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, Westwood Village, 10/20/23)

Back in October, we reported on the arrest of two 15-year-old boys after a purse-snatch robbery in Admiral and a purchase made with one of the victim’s cards. This week, one pleaded guilty and was sentenced, while the other has a plea hearing scheduled for next week. As they are being prosecuted as juveniles, we have identified them only as Suspects #1 and #2. The one who pleaded guilty this week is #1. Court documents say he was the one who got out of a car that pulled up behind the victim, near 45th and Stevens in the middle of the afternoon, and ran up to her from behind, knocking her to the ground and struggling with her for her purse, finally pulling it away. A tracing signal from the phone in her purse led police to the two boys at Westwood Village, where they were coming out of GameStop with a PlayStation they had bought with one of the victim’s cards. They split up, but police quickly took both of them into custody. #1 has remained in detention; his previous convictions, as we reported here, included a 2022 carjacking in Burien and a car theft last year in Kent. While on “electronic home monitoring” for the latter, he cut off the monitoring bracelet, and was arrested in September for an incident also involving Suspect #2 and a stolen car found at Bellevue Square.

Getting back to the current case, #1 pleaded guilty this past Wednesday to one reduced charge, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, and one charge that was unchanged from October, second-degree ID theft. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office recommended the standard range of 15 to 36 weeks in state juvenile detention, and that’s what Judge Joe Campagna ordered. But that’s not all the time the defendant will be serving, KCPAO spokesperson Casey McNerthney explains – he also has an additional “15-to-36-week range” from a prior conviction – previously suspended, but now that’s revoked – plus two months. Juvenile sentencing works differently from adult sentencing, with ranges rather than fixed periods, and it will be up to the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families to determine when he’s released.

TJ January 26, 2024 (6:24 pm)

Great path they are on. There shouldn’t be any reduced charges for them at this point. And it seems there are a couple missed charges too, one being assault being they knocked the victim down from behind. Plus it would be nice to know if they were in a stolen car, as that should be charged if the case. Anybody who thinks there should be any of the rehabilitative justice garbage instead of juvy lockup isn’t living in the real world. And being we are dealing with a epidemic of serious juvenile crime and can’t name them, I think society should know their parents current and past status. They can refer to them as “parent 1″ and ‘parent 2”, but they somehow need to be held accountable for that upbringing.

WSB January 26, 2024 (6:35 pm)

They weren’t in a car when arrested so I don’t believe any specific vehicle has been tied to them in this case. Since you bring up the charge reduction, I do have some explanatory information from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office: “At trial we would have had to prove a contested eyewitness identification with factors in place that could go against the ability of the victim to make an accurate identification. … At the same time, the victim understandably wanted the case resolved quickly and did not want to be involved with a trial. That victim position shared through the victim advocate was considered.”
sixbuck January 27, 2024 (12:19 am)

Charging an individual with both assault and robbery is redundant as assault is incorporated into the robbery statute. Stealing is considered theft until the use of force or implication of a weapon or threat. Then theft becomes robbery.
Anonymous January 27, 2024 (8:42 am)

T J I agree with you. I strongly believe their parents should be charged as well. They are 100% responsible for their behavior as they raised them to behave in such a manner and these teens will be life long criminals at this point because they learn to get away with their crimes.Plus there must be some neighbors who witness some kind of behavior?
Lagartija Nick January 27, 2024 (8:48 am)

TJ, here’s a question for you. How much jail time do you think you deserve for deliberately and fraudulently failing to pay your car tab taxes? I mean since you’re so gung ho on the whole ‘law and order’ thing and all.
- WS Res January 27, 2024 (10:01 am)
  
  TJ’s parents should be held accountable for raising someone who lies to the authorities and steals from the rest of us.
- Rhonda January 27, 2024 (1:20 pm)
  
  Lagatija Nick, you’re actually comparing creative car tab payment to assaulting female senior citizens and forcefully robbing them of their purses?
  - Lagartija Nick January 27, 2024 (6:30 pm)
    
    “Creative car tab payment”? Is that one of those “alternative facts” you guys like to call the truth. Tax fraud is tax fraud and all of us are going to be paying more to cover TJ’s “creative” scheme. You should be angry he’s shirking his responsibility and forcing you to pay for it.
    - Rhonda January 27, 2024 (7:06 pm)
      
      Lagartija Nick, it’s not “tax fraud” to register one’s vehicle to an alternate address. The law allows for it. There are literally thousands of scofflaw drivers scooting around without ANY current tabs, so don’t shame those who found a smarter way to actually pay for them.
    - K January 28, 2024 (10:10 am)
      
      Rhonda, please don’t spread misinformation. The State Department of Licensing clearly says on their website, and will tell you in person as well, that you need to register vehicles at your place of residence. I wish I were surprised that a self-proclaimed former LEO would be advocating skirting the law whenever it is inconvenient for them, but sadly that is pretty on brand for SPD. “Alternative” adherence to laws doesn’t make you smart, it makes you a criminal.
  - WS Res January 27, 2024 (10:27 pm)
    
    I mean, if he has 3-4 cars (who can keep track?) and he’s been doing it for years, between the tabs he owes plus the fines, that’s thousands of dollars, which puts it out of misdemeanor theft and into felony territory. Meanwhile we all pay more thanks to him, so we’re all impacted on the daily.
  - Fitz January 28, 2024 (5:32 am)
    
    Are you one of those “I’m traveling/American state national people” who simply declare they aren’t us. Citizens and think they don’t have to follow the laws?
- Byron James January 27, 2024 (2:18 pm)
  
  @Lagartija Nick. Here’s the answer to your question. A driver faces a $145 fine for tabs that have been expired for less than two months and a $237 fine for tabs that have been expired for more than two months.
Ivan Weiss January 27, 2024 (8:52 am)

“They need to be held accountable,” says the guy who brags publicly about registering his vehicles illegally.

1994 January 26, 2024 (11:03 pm)

Well, if the youth goes to Echo Glen Juvie Rehab facility it may not entirely be up to the DCYF when he is released…..with all the escapes that have happened at that place in the last year the youth may determine when he makes it out. But he has earned his time to be sentenced!! and keep the rest of us safe while he is off the street,

anonyme January 27, 2024 (5:28 am)

The explanations still don’t seem to justify the fact that this kid continues to escalate his behavior and is essentially getting away with a violent assault. He’ll probably get time served.

TJ January 27, 2024 (9:52 am)

Guess what? I knew I would face a FINE in addition to paying back the difference in tabs. No jail time. ST3 was the nail in the coffin for my feeling on taxes here. I won’t be living here when it’s done, and $54 billion for something that is going to be considered a massive failure. But great deflection to the story here on hard core violent criminals who are physically and emotionally harming people, far different than my skipping out on some tab money.

K January 27, 2024 (10:48 am)

Surely you knew your “the law is for thee but not for me” stance would not be a popular one. Social ridicule is a consequence for your actions. You made your bed. And providing yourself as an example has actually been a great help in discussing how much punishments for criminal acts are related to class and social acceptance rather than community impact. Thanks, TJ!
miws January 27, 2024 (7:48 pm)

TJ, in your time here in West Seattle, I presume you drove on some of the nice, paved residential streets. Did you have ancestors living here around 90 years ago? (I believe that’s around when many of the streets were paved in the concrete that is still there today). If so, cool. If not, you owe my maternal grandparents (and other taxpayers of the time) a huge “thank you” for paying for them. —-Mike

High School Teacher January 27, 2024 (3:32 pm)

WAC 308-56A-040 A person providing false address information is guilty of a gross misdemeanor punishable by a fine of five hundred twenty-nine dollars.

High School Dropout January 27, 2024 (4:38 pm)

(b) The registered owner’s primary residence street address (at the choice of the registered owner, a mailing address if different from the residence address can also be given)
- Graduate January 28, 2024 (9:46 am)
  
  “Also”. The actual residential address is required. If you want the DOL to send any notices to a different address, you can also provide that.

JAT January 28, 2024 (9:23 pm)

Greatest Comment Thread EVAR,

But seriously, it’s easy to call for blood, but this is a case of the system working.
I’m hopeful that 15-36 weeks times two gives this kid an opportunity to get the help and resources he needs to turn this around.

I’m sure that sounds idealistically naive to many, but it’s what I’m hoping.

I hope this kid can grow up and become an adult who understands his obligations to others in the community!

Resident January 29, 2024 (12:39 am)

Maybe, but with parents that are checked out enough for this to happen I wouldn’t count on a miracle. The state can’t do it alone they need the boys families to be part of the solution here.
- K January 29, 2024 (7:09 am)
  
  See? These assumptions that this happens because parents are “checked out” are not helpful. Parents could be working multiple jobs, or have disabilities and not enough support to both run their household and track their child everywhere they go. Some parents do everything “right” and their kids still end up making friends with the wrong people and getting into trouble they wish they hadn’t. When the parents are also charged with something, as in the case with the Michigan shooter, share all of your opinions about parenting, please. The parents were not charged with anything here and you have NO IDEA what the parents tried or not prior to this incident.

Jo Blo February 1, 2024 (11:56 pm)

Like how no one mentions the fact they bought $500 game console with a stolen card from GameStop. You think a fortune 500 company like Game Stop, would have guidelines concerning checking ids Especially since theyre making the merchant cover the costs of stolen purchases, now. Whattaya call it? Stop gap. Thats right A stop gap.

Sorry, comment time is over.