CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Charges filed against two teen robbery suspects

Late today, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced initial charges filed against two of the teenage suspects arrested last week in connection with what investigators said was a prolific robbery rampage. The one adult suspect, 18-year-old John Bailey-Johnson of Renton, is charged with robbery, motor-vehicle theft, and unlawful gun possession. The first two charges are in relation to the Bellevue carjacking that preceded the arrests; the third charge is because he’s a convicted felon and can’t legally have a gun. (The one police say they found had been stolen from Kent, and they say Bailey-Johnson was trying to bury it while hiding from police during a search/foot pursuit in Auburn.) Here’s what’s described as his “arrest photo,” from the charging documents:

He is now jailed in lieu of $350,000 bail – higher than the $100,000 initially set last week – and is due in court for arraignment on October 28. The other suspect charged is a 16-year-old, against whom the KCPAO filed two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of unlawful gun possession (because he’s underage). The charges against him stem primarily from a Circle K holdup east of downtown Seattle on October 4. He remains in secure juvenile detention pending his arraignment hearing, set for tomorrow. Prosecutors stress that these charges resulted from what were just the first cases referred to them by police. Here’s more info and context from KCPAO spokesperson Casey McNerthney:

As noted last Friday, in large investigations it is not uncommon for police to refer some cases initially, and then they may refer additional cases later. Prosecutors can make charging decisions on the individual cases if/when prosecutors receive them. It takes significant time for police investigators to work cases and to meet the statewide legal requirements for admissible evidence. Police can refer cases and King County prosecutors can make charging decisions anytime within the statute of limitations. If additional cases are referred to our office, King County prosecutors will address the cases with urgency and review each case individually.

What about the others arrested? McNerthney recaps Friday’s details about a 15-year-old suspect:

There was a 15-year-old arrested last week on a warrant for a previous case that he is on supervision for. In August 2024, that teen was sentenced through traditional prosecution for Taking a Motor Vehicle Without Permission in the Second Degree and Robbery in the Second Degree and was granted a suspended disposition alternative by the Court, as authorized by law. When the 15-year-old did not follow his court-ordered terms, King County prosecutors made a motion for a bench warrant on August 22, 2024. The 15-year-old was arrested Thursday on that warrant. At an Oct. 11 hearing, King County prosecutors asked for the Court to hold him in custody, and the Court held him in custody after hearing from both sides. (There is not a bail amount set in juvenile court – it’s either in or out of custody) The next hearing in that case is 10/23 at the Clark Child and Family Justice Center.

Investigators said they had identified another juvenile suspect, but McNerthney says no case for that suspect has been referred, yet. We also don’t yet have any additional information about the locations of all the robberies to which investigators think these suspects might be linked – just the map from Friday’s story showing three incident locations in West Seattle, one of which we know was the September 30th Highland Park 7-11 robbery attempt with gunfire.

17 Replies to "CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Charges filed against two teen robbery suspects"

  • Thankful October 15, 2024 (6:58 pm)

    Good work to the KC sheriffs department and SPD! 

  • Rhonda October 15, 2024 (9:22 pm)

    Now we just need to hope the prosecutor does a good job and the judge follows through with a long sentence(s). That Bellevue carjacking was horrific.

  • Scrappy October 15, 2024 (9:34 pm)

    Damn fine reporting WSB. Thank you for your follow-through. 

  • 1994 October 15, 2024 (9:37 pm)

    John Bailey-Johnson  knew he was in deep doo-doo as evidenced by his attempt to  bury a gun while hiding  from police.  Restorative Justice for these guys would take years if they committed so many robberies as the police suspect. This group of boys don’t sound amenable to it anyway. Good to read bail amount was increased.

  • WS Guy October 15, 2024 (10:02 pm)

    Thank you for posting the arrest photo.

  • Tired of the BS October 16, 2024 (1:14 am)

    Perfect example of why the King County Juvenile Detention facility needs to remain open permanently.

  • Darren October 16, 2024 (2:07 am)

    Is there a way to monitor who the judges are to shed light on their handling of bail, trial, sentencing etc

  • Rara October 16, 2024 (8:15 am)

    It’s disheartening to see these kids starting out life in this manner. Hopefully they can be rehabilitated and make better choices. They’ve put a lot of lives at risk. 

  • Question Authority October 16, 2024 (9:28 am)

    That suspect in the photo has that “I really screwed up this time and the fun is over” look.  Yup, your about to find out that actions have consequences.

  • Dog Whisperer October 16, 2024 (9:47 am)

    With luck we’ll never see these jokers again. 

    • Bbron October 16, 2024 (1:44 pm)

      you’d like to see the state disappear people??

  • snowskier October 16, 2024 (10:34 am)

    Good work KC Sheriff.   These guys were quite prolific, negatively impacting the lives of many, many people.  Here’s hoping that that they can mature in jail and be rehabilitated before returning to the community.  We’re safer with them locked up for a while.  

    • Joshua October 16, 2024 (12:33 pm)

      It seems the mostly likely thing they will earn in detention is strategies to commit more crime. You can not expect teenagers who are already on the long road to perdition to be redeemed in our prison system. Time has demonstrated the main thing that awaits them there is the opposite of maturity. 

      • . October 16, 2024 (2:56 pm)

        The 15 year old was given a suspended sentence (no jail time) for car theft and robbery (felonies) and yet 2 months later was committing armed robberies and carjackings. Clearly he didn’t get “strategies to commit more crime” while in detention just like his first felonies.

  • Chippers October 16, 2024 (9:02 pm)

    What about the 4th suspect? 

    • WSB October 16, 2024 (9:43 pm)

      First line of last paragraph, “Investigators said they had identified another juvenile suspect, but McNerthney says no case for that suspect has been referred, yet.”

  • Peace maker October 24, 2024 (8:20 am)

    What are parents doing about this kind of behavior? Even when kids get old enough to be legal adults does anyone really care about the future of these youngsters that haven’t quite learned the ropes of life and how to be good people.. some people be letting their kids dress like gang members and hookers and be all kind of disrespectful. As soon as that behavior hits the street it’s trouble and ego and full of predator hunting for trouble and crime and victimization of others and themselves.. this guy in the picture isn’t no victim he probably hurt many people yet no one ever did anything to curb his criminal outlook on life now he’s going to be doing time because he never had anything positive to do with positive people who actually care the world is just like that unless we all change

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