2 teen girls arrested for alleged armed carjacking incident in Tacoma
2 teens arrested for armed carjacking in Tacoma
Two teens stole a Jeep at gunpoint in Tacoma and evaded police to Lakewood. When the car crashed in front of Clover High School, the armed teen ran inside.
TACOMA, Wash. - The Pierce County Sheriff's Department arrested two teens they say were involved in an armed carjacking incident in Tacoma on Wednesday.
According to deputies, a 15-year-old and 17-year-old girl held a woman at gunpoint and stole her car. It happened in an apartment complex in the 17400 block of 44th Avenue East in the Frederickson community.
"You’re going to be scared for your life literally, because they had a gun," said Martha, the victim of the incident.
Martha asked to only use her first name. She said she was on her way to pick her 6-year-old son up when the carjacking happened.
Martha says she was sitting in her car, and a stranger opened up the door and told her to get out of the car. Martha says she then noticed the pink and silver gun the stranger had pointed directly at her.
"I was shaking when I called the cops, yes. I was shaking; I was stuttering," she said.
Deputies say they spotted the stolen vehicle going through red lights. With probable cause, deputies pursued the suspects.
"It was such a danger to the community to have somebody that would just rob somebody of their vehicle ,at gunpoint, a total stranger," said Sergeant Darren Moss with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.
Investigators say the suspect car hit 80 mph at some points.
Moss says the teens drove the stolen vehicle off road, popped the tires and crashed outside of Clover Park High School.
The 17-year-old suspect got out of the stolen vehicle, with the hand gun, and ran into the high school, according to deputies.
"That’s our worst nightmare. We’re trying to protect the community and in this pursuit, at the end, they end up running into a school where our most vulnerable people are, our children," said Moss.
She was taken into custody inside the school, and deputies found a gun she had concealed on her.
The school was on lockdown during the incident. Deputies say there is no ongoing public safety concerns.
Both girls are in custody.
It's unclear if they knew the person whose car they allegedly stole, or if they had any connections to the high school itself.
This is a developing story. More information will be added as it is released.
Get breaking news alerts in the FREE FOX 13 Seattle app. Download for Apple iOS or Android. And sign up for BREAKING NEWS emails delivered straight to your inbox.
Stay connected with FOX 13 News on all platforms:
DOWNLOAD: FOX 13 News and Weather Apps
WATCH: FOX 13 News Live
SUBSCRIBE: FOX 13 on YouTube
DAILY BRIEF: Sign Up For Our Newsletter
FOLLOW: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram