Five teenagers are facing felony charges after allegedly robbing a man in Seattle, then leading police on a car chase ending at The Commons mall on Jan. 5.
The suspects are ages 13 and 14, along with three 15-year-olds. King County prosecutors rushed filed felony cases against each suspect last week and argued for the teens to be held in juvenile detention. The Kent Reporter does not name juvenile suspects unless they are charged as adults for certain crimes.
Of the suspects, the 13-year-old boy is charged with first-degree robbery, third-degree malicious mischief, second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission, fourth-degree assault and second-degree vehicle prowl.
The 14-year-old and all three 15-year-old suspects were charged with taking a motor vehicle without permission.
According to charging documents from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office:
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) received multiple 911 calls between 10:28 a.m. to 11:48 a.m. involving several suspects in a silver Kia and a red Kia; both cars were later discovered to be stolen vehicles.
Around 11:18 a.m., a witness called the police to report that occupants of the vehicles were beating up an elderly man. Officers responded to the scene and found that at the time of the call, approximately eight suspects got out of the vehicles and smashed the windows of several parked cars.
The elderly man confronted the suspects and the suspects allegedly punched him in the forehead and he fell to the ground as the suspects fled, documents state.
A short time later, a person was walking down the street when two vehicles drove past him and threw something at him. The person yelled at the vehicles, which then turned around and parked in the middle of the street.
The person said at least 10 suspects approached him from the two vehicles and surrounded him. The person told police he was kicked and punched at least 30-40 times in the head, neck and upper torso. During the assault, the person said a suspect stole his iPhone, wallet and gold chain, documents state.
As officers responded and spoke with the injured person, police located the two Kia vehicles and attempted to pull them over, but the vehicles did not.
Officials continued to track the vehicles. The King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter support unit, Guardian One, responded to the area to assist with tracking the suspect vehicle, a red Kia driving south on I-5.
Dozens of law enforcement officers responded to the area of 1928 S. Commons in Federal Way after 1 p.m. on Jan. 5.
The driver of the Kia parked at The Commons mall and all of the suspects fled into the mall, according to the charging documents.
A witness sitting in the food court told police he saw the five suspects wearing ski masks walk into the food court, documents state. The witness said one suspect threw a black jacket into the trash can, which was later found by police. Police also found two credit cards with the name of the injured person on them in another mall garbage can.
Police chased the suspects on foot and all five suspects were taken into custody without incident. When searching the red Kia, officers found one of the windows had been broken and the ignition was severely damaged. Officials also found items belonging to the injured person inside.
They were initially booked into the King County Children and Family Justice Center in Seattle for robbery.
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