Officers arrested two teenagers Monday for attacking a couple of people in the Rainier Valley to get their cell phones.
The first victim told police he was walking along South Rose Street near Rainier Avenue South about 7 PM when two male teenagers started hitting him in the face in an attempt to get his cell phone. The man was able to fend off his attackers and called police as the teens ran away.
When police arrived, a second victim walked up and told officers she’d been attacked by the same people a couple of blocks away, and they stole her cell phone.
After officers took their statements and left to interview other witnesses, the first victim called 911 again to say the teens had returned to the scene and attacked him a second time.
The 17-year-old suspects were still there when the officers returned. They were both arrested and booked into the Youth Services Center on robbery charges. The woman’s cell phone was recovered and returned.
A third man, who had been seen hanging out with the suspects during the second attack, was arrested for a Department of Corrections violation. He said he had nothing to do with the attacks.