CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Walgreens robbery suspect charged

The 17-year-old arrested after last weekend’s Walgreens robbery in High Point is due in court today, after being charged with a felony. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged him with first-degree robbery/displaying a deadly weapon. The charging documents don’t reveal much additional information about what investigators believe happened, but described the “deadly weapon” in detail (photo is from SPD and also included in the charging documents):

At approximately 1920 hours [the day of the robbery], officers recovered a tan 9mm Glock bearing serial no: xxxxxxx. The firearm was holding a 31 round extended magazine, with 21 bullets inside. This firearm was recovered in a bush, approximately 40 feet from where S/Stewart was taken. into custody. A records check showed the firearm as clear and belonging to xxxxxx.

The documents also say the suspect was wearing a jacket that “contained two phones, a pair of gloves
similar in appearance to the gloves in the robbery” (according to security video) plus had “$763 cash in his pants pockets, as well as the … tracker that was inside of the till at Walgreens.”

We’ll update once we get information on today’s hearing and the custody status. Meantime, we’ve checked juvenile-court records and this appears to be the first case against this defendant.

ADDED: According to minutes filed from the hearing, the defendant pleaded not guilty and is on electronic home monitoring. He is due back in juvenile court in two weeks.

Tax Payer October 23, 2025 (12:44 pm)

Charge him as an adult and hold him responsible to the greatest extent of the law… anything less is a mockery of our society.

sbre October 23, 2025 (2:02 pm)

Hear, hear!!!
- k October 23, 2025 (2:23 pm)
  
  Ironic that it’s “tax payer” asking for the most expensive, least effective solution.
  - Rhonda October 23, 2025 (3:27 pm)
    
    K, it’s 100% IMPOSSIBLE for a convicted felon to rob a Walgreens from a prison cell.
    - Neighbor October 25, 2025 (1:12 pm)
      
      Do you plan on keeping them there forever Rhonda? Eventually this kid gets out, what’s your plan then? Without rehabilitation and a culture of forgiveness this kid will rotate through the prison industrial system for the rest of their lives, costing taxpayers far more than $748.00.
  - WSzombie October 23, 2025 (10:21 pm)
    
    “Least effective solution” for what? The “suspect” illegally possessed an illegal weapon to perform an illegal act. As a husband, father, and law-abiding citizen, I want the community safer. Prison isn’t about reforming people, it’s about protecting a society from those who don’t want to follow the social contract required to function harmoniously. If we don’t follow the rules, outlaw just soon follows.
    - Neighbor October 25, 2025 (1:13 pm)
      
      Least effective solution to reducing recidivism and crime in general. If you care about community safety you should care about criminal justice reform.
B October 23, 2025 (4:07 pm)

I agree. Some Washington state laws that were intended to protect at-risk youth have backfired. These laws have emboldened juvenile criminals by all but eliminating any semblance of deterrence. Here is a link to an article be democratic Representative Lauren Davis, where she expresses regret for supporting some of these bills:

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/wa-lawmaker-how-my-missteps-fueled-juvenile-violence/

I believe that one of the most egregious bills that she mentions is HB1140. Although this bill was written with the best of intentions, it has had the practical effect of creating a mafia-style ‘code of silence’ for juveniles that is basically overseen by lawyers. I think this is part of the reason that the juvenile murders of Mobarak Adam at the SW Athletic Center, and Amarr Murphy-Paine at Garfield High are stalled.
- Ts October 24, 2025 (3:58 pm)
  
  Very true in my opinion. This law has backfired. If this is his first offense with a gun then I saw this is his one chance. If he violates probation, committs another crime with a weapon and refuses to go to school and or work then back to jail to serve out any early release and no plea bargain ever to get rid of weapons charge. I’m all for giving youth a chance to make better choices, I have also seen the damage a bullet can do to a 16 year old and I never want to see that again.

Brian October 23, 2025 (2:49 pm)

He had a tracker from the till in his pocket? Oof kid, ya gotta rob smarter than that.

WSB October 23, 2025 (2:52 pm)

There is a photo in the charging documents. It’s a thin thing inset in the wad of cash. Doubt they had any idea. I knew banks used such things but didn’t realize retail businesses did too.
- WSzombie October 23, 2025 (10:24 pm)
  
  I’m surprised the till had that much cash. I’ve never seen anybody there pay with anything but a card or EBT.
  - Neighbor October 25, 2025 (1:15 pm)
    
    How much time do you spend at Walgreens?

Zipda October 23, 2025 (9:04 pm)

Starting his tragic career young.

1994 October 23, 2025 (9:30 pm)

The last sentence “ Meantime, we’ve checked juvenile-court records and this appears to be the first case against this defendant.” Maybe this is the first case he has been caught for…… but there could be other “cases” he was not caught for. May this be the ‘wake up call’ the youth needs to set him on a better path forward in life.

K October 24, 2025 (5:42 am)

Not if the mob at the top of the thread gets their way. Apparently he should be locked up for the rest of his life, at taxpayers’ expense, with no programs or attempts at rehabilitation, as anything short of that is a danger to the community and a risk of tearing apart the actual fabric of society. There are no wake-up calls, no one is capable of change. Everyone should be defined for the rest of their lives by their 17-year-old selves.

TC October 24, 2025 (10:36 am)

That certainly looks like a 3D printed ghost gun. Perhaps that explains the lack of a serial number.

WSB October 24, 2025 (11:09 am)

It had a serial number. The XXX represents redacted information. The charging documents showed it “owned by” a 38-year-old woman and identified her but did not say how they knew nor whether she was any relation to the suspect, nor did they mention her in any other context.

Sorry, comment time is over.