Police arrested five teens Monday in West Seattle for attacking a 55-year-old grocery store clerk, after he confronted them about an earlier shoplifting incident.
The victim had been working at the Westwood QFC earlier in the day, when he witnessed the group of teens stealing shrimp, hot dogs and barbecue sauce from the store. After leaving work, around 4 PM, the man found himself standing next to the same group of suspects at a bus stop near the 2800 block of SW. Barton St. There, the man confronted the teens about the theft, and warned them not to come back to the store.
In response, a 19-year-old female in the group doused the victim in pepper spray, sending him tumbling to the ground. The rest of the teens punched and kicked the man as he lay on the concrete, and a 17-year-old male grabbed the victim’s iPhone before the group boarded a Metro bus.
Officers were able to track down the bus a short distance away and arrest the group of teens, who are all between 14 and 19 years old. Police booked three of the teens into the Youth Services Center, while the two others were booked into King County Jail.