WA deputies arrest teens for pistol-whipping boy, armed robberies
Teens arrested for violent WA crime spree
Investigators say two teenagers committed three armed robberies in Pierce County in less than an hour, and bodycam captured their arrests.
TACOMA, Wash. - Deputies arrested two teenagers for a violent crime spree throughout Pierce County, including pistol whipping a child riding a bicycle.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the suspects — an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old — are accused of committing three separate armed robberies in about an hour on Monday night.
The first incident happened at Paradise Lanes Entertainment on the 12500 block of Pacific Avenue South.
The backstory:
Deputies told FOX 13 Seattle the teens robbed a customer of his backpack and fired a gun.
From that point, deputies report the teenage suspects then jumped two 15-year-olds riding their bikes about a mile from the sight of the first robbery.
This incident happened near the Highway 512 entrance off Pacific Avenue and 112th Street.
Investigators said one of the suspects pistol whipped one of the boys in the mouth and stole both of their cell phones.
Finally, deputies report the teenage gunmen went about a mile and a half to the Arco Gas Station near 112th Street and Steel Street South and robbed a woman.
Investigators told FOX 13 Seattle the suspects got in the back of the victim’s car and pointed a gun at her head and stole $50.
However, investigators were able to track down the suspects before they could leave the scene.
What they're saying:
"We’re lucky our officers were able to put a stop to it, and stop other people from being victimized," Cappetto said. "Who knows if those two had continued on through the night, how many more people would be robbed at gunpoint, how many more stores would have been robbed? And, you know, somebody could have died."
Deputies arrived within seconds of the final robbery and took the suspects into custody.
Cappetto expressed frustration about the rising number of juveniles involved in violent crime, as well as the challenges law enforcement faces in holding them accountable.
"If it’s not a felony crime, we have nowhere to book them. They’re released back to their parents," she said. "And a lot of times if they are booked on felony crimes, they are released back to community custody care, of the environment they were in — which doesn’t help them get better or make better choices."
Both teens were booked on three counts of armed robbery and several counts of assault.
The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter AJ Janavel.
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