Officers arrested three suspects late Monday afternoon following a street robbery in South Seattle.
On Monday, January 30th, at about 4:50 pm, the 52-year-old male victim was walking through the courtyard of an apartment complex in the 7000 block of Rainier Avenue South. He told officers later that he noticed four teenagers following him on foot. The victim stated he continued on and stopped to visit with a friend in his apartment. When he came out of the apartment after a few minutes, he noticed the suspects in the hallway where they confronted him. The victim stated one of the suspects grabbed him and threw him down while the other suspects went through his pockets, stealing his cellphone and wallet. The victim sustained minor injuries during the assault. The suspects then fled.
The victim walked to another friend’s house and 911 was called. The victim was able to provide a description of the suspects, including some of the distinctive clothing they were wearing.
At about 5:20 pm an officer saw four males standing near Rainier Avenue South and South Brandon Street matching the description. The suspects were contacted and detained. The victim’s wallet was recovered from one of the suspects, age 16. That suspect was arrested. One of the suspects consented to a search of his backpack and outer clothing. Two cellphones were located in his pant’s pockets. One of the officers called the victim’s cellphone and officers watched as one of the phones lit up and vibrated, indicating an incoming call. That suspect, 18, was also taken into custody. Another suspect admitted that he was with the group when the robbery occurred. The 19-year-old suspect was arrested. The fourth suspect was also taken into custody, but later identified and released.
The two adult males were later booked into the King County Jail for investigation of robbery, while the 16-year-old was booked into the Youth Services Center for the same charge. Detectives will handle the follow up investigation.