Officers arrested a 21-year-old man following an assault and armed robbery of a cab driver early this morning near the intersection of 12th Avenue South and South Main Street.
At 3:00 am, the victim, a cab driver, was driving past the intersection when he was flagged down by a potential fare. The driver pulled over and the suspect entered the cab. As they were talking, two other men got into the cab as well and pulled out handguns, demanding the driver’s money. The suspects then began “pistol whipping” the victim with their guns on his head. The victim managed to jump out of the cab and run away. The suspects stole the victim’s cell phone and a GPS unit that was inside the cab. The suspects then got out of the cab and into two separate waiting vehicles.
The victim was able to call 911 and officers arrived within minutes. Officers stopped a Chevy Caprice with five men in it a short distance away. Despite cuts and bruises to his head, the victim was able to positively identify the main suspect in the group, and he was arrested at the scene. Officers obtained permission from the owner of the car to search it, and located two handguns and the stolen GPS unit inside. One of the handguns had been reported stolen.
The 21-year-old suspect was transported to the East Precinct while the other occupants of the car were identified and released from the scene. While in the precinct holding cell the suspect attempted to get rid of a baggie of suspected methamphetamine. He was later booked into the King County Jail for the robbery and felony drugs.
Robbery detectives will now handle the follow up investigation and attempt to locate the outstanding suspects.