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Truant Teen Rushed Back to School After Robbery Attempt, Package Theft, Stolen Getaway Car Crash

Detectives say a 15-year-old student tried to rob two teens, stole a package from a West Seattle home, and then climbed out of the wreck of a stolen getaway car before rushing back to his high school earlier this month.

Police arrested the teen Friday evening for the string of West Seattle crimes on February 2nd. Around 9 AM, the suspect stepped out of a silver minivan in the 6900 block of 34th Ave SW and began following two 17-year-olds on the street. The suspect repeatedly demanded the pair of victims hand over their cellphones. When the teens refused to give up their phones, the suspect punched both boys in the face. The victims ran away and reported the incident to police.

About four hours after the attack, detectives believe the suspect stole a package of luggage off the porch in the 7100 block of 28th Ave SW, just a few blocks from the scene of the suspect’s attempted robbery. Witnesses described seeing the suspects speeding away from the scene of the theft in a silver minivan. Officers later found the empty minivan crashed into a parked car.

Police impounded the van and contacted the owner, who had reported it stolen. Detectives later searched the van and found cellphones and the luggage stolen from the 7100 block of 28th Avenue.

Detectives were able to tie one of the phones to the 15-year-old, and his 17-year-old victims were able to pick him out of a photo lineup. While police were at the suspect’s school investigating the case, security staff said they had seen the suspect running back onto campus shortly after police had found the crashed minivan nearby.

Southwest Precinct detectives are still investigating several other recent robberies in West Seattle, and Captain Steve Wilske has assigned additional officers to patrol duties.