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Early morning robbery arrest in University District

A man was arrested for a violent robbery early this morning that left the victim with a possible broken jaw.  The incident began shortly after 12:30 am, when officers were called to a report of a man yelling for assistance.   According to the caller, it appeared that the man was bleeding. 

Officers arrived in the area and could hear a man yelling for police around 45th and U Way.  Officers located the disturbance and made contact with a man at 45th and Brooklyn.  The victim, who had been chasing the suspect, also arrived at 45th and Brooklyn a short time later. 

The victim, a 28-year-old man, was bleeding from his mouth and had difficulty talking.  Officers called  Seattle Fire to the scene to treat the man’s injuries.  While waiting for SFD to arrive, the victim told officers the following account:

He had been jumped by three people after being asked to smoke marijuana in the 4700 Block of University Way NE.   The victim told officers that the man the officers had stopped at 45th and Brooklyn had kicked him several times in the face, and in the process, the group of suspects stole cash from him  The victim stated after the assault he began yelling for someone to call the police, and that he was being chased by the suspect until the police arrived.  He was able to positively identify the man stopped by police as the suspect who had assaulted him.

A witness also stopped by the scene and pointed out the suspect as the one who had been chasing the victim. 

Officers spoke to the 26-year-old male suspect to get his version of events.  He stated that he had seen the victim strike a woman earlier, so he was chasing him, although there had been no calls of a male assaulting a female.  The suspect denied assaulting the victim.  The suspect was advised of his Miranda Rights and refused to answer any other questions.  Officers observed what appeared to be blood on the suspect’s shoes, and they were submitted into evidence.

The victim could only provide limited descriptions on the other suspects.  They were described as a white male, 30, wearing a red jacket, and a white female, 20, wearing a blue jacket jeans.  Despite an area search, officers could not locate the other suspects.

The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment of a possible broken jaw.  The suspect was later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Robbery.