Officers seized a loaded handgun and arrested 19-year-old man suspected in two armed hold-ups Monday night near Columbia City.
Police received a call around 10:30 PM from a group of men and women, who reported five suspects had tried to rob them outside a marijuana dispensary in the 2800 block of Rainier Avenue S. When one of the suspects pulled out a gun, the group of victims ran to their van and called 911 as they sped away.
As police began searching around the dispensary for the suspects, Officers Andrew Wilkes and Anthony Belgarde spotted a group of men in the road at 31st Avenue S. and S. Dakota Street. When officers circled the block to get a better look at the men, the group sprinted past their patrol car. Another man in the street ran up to officers and shouted that the fleeing group had just robbed him at gunpoint.
Officers saw one of the suspects dash through a yard and duck behind a parked car. Police arrested the 19-year-old man and found a loaded handgun stashed behind a garbage can. A police K9 team—Officer Corey Fleming and his dog, Buddy—also searched the neighborhood and found one victim’s cellphone and wallet.
Officers confirmed the 19-year-old man had pulled a gun on victims in both robberies, and booked him into the King County Jail.
Police are now working to identify the other suspects in the robberies.