Tacoma Police believe they’ve busted a teen crime ring
Apr 14, 2023, 3:20 PM
Tacoma Police Department insignia on a police vehicle. (Photo courtesy of the Tacoma Police Department)
(Photo courtesy of the Tacoma Police Department)
Tacoma Police believe they’ve busted a teen crime ring after authorities stopped a stolen car Wednesday and found three of the suspects. They arrested three more after carrying out a search warrant at the suspects’ home.
Six young men, ages 16-19, now face charges for numerous crimes, including armed carjackings and robberies across Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties.
“They are all known to each other and the crimes are linked in one way or another,” Wendy Haddow of the Tacoma Police said.
Two of the 16-year-olds are suspected of being involved in a shooting that wounded a store clerk Wednesday morning in south Tacoma.
Yesterday evening, detectives & officers arrested 6 suspects in Tacoma who are linked to multiple felony crimes, including the robbery and shooting of a clerk yesterday at a business in the 9300 blk of S. Steele St. Read more here: https://t.co/0g6IPwpddh pic.twitter.com/Y2tImHS6yQ
— Tacoma Police Department (@TacomaPD) April 13, 2023
Haddow said police are seeing more cases of teens committing crimes while armed. “I don’t know if they are buying them, stealing them, or buying them illegally,” Haddow said.
Three handguns were recovered during the stop of a stolen vehicle.
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The arrests were related to the following cases:
April 12, 2023, 10:40 a.m. – Robbery / Shooting – 9300 S. Steele St
•16-year-old male arrested for Robbery First Degree and Assault First Degree
•16-year-old male arrested for Robbery First Degree and Assault First Degree
April 12, 2023 – Stolen Motor Vehicle – 5500 E. McKinley Avenue
•18-year-old male arrested for Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle and Felony Warrants for Assault First Degree (x2), Robbery First Degree, Burglary First Degree, Unlawful Imprisonment, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm Second Degree.
March 25, 2023, 1:30 p.m. – Armed Robbery – 4500 S. Steele Street
•17-year-old male arrested for Robbery First Degree and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm Second Degree
>•19-year-old male arrested for Robbery First Degree
July 26, 2022, 7:14 a.m. – Drive-by Shooting – 3800 Pacific Avenue
•A 19-year-old male arrested for Assault First Degree and Drive-By Shooting
The investigations are ongoing. Anyone with further information regarding these or other associated crimes is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Sam Campbell and Kate Stone contributed to this story
