Auburn police link teens, 10-year-old to crime spree in South King County
Dec 13, 2024, 5:13 PM | Updated: 5:21 pm
The Auburn Police Department identified three people as being the same suspects in a series of robberies officers were investigating. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Three of five people – most of them teenagers – arrested for allegedly trying to break into a Fall City gun store are now being linked to a string of robberies in South King County.
On Dec. 6, the King County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy was passing by Fall City Firearms around 1 a.m. when he spotted the burglary in progress.
The suspects got into a stolen car, led deputies on a chase, crashed on Northeast Tolt Hill Road and tried to escape into the woods before surrendering to authorities, the KCSO said. Deputies said the group included two 13-year-olds, a 16-year-old, a 17-year-old and a man in his 20s.
Previous coverage: Fall City gun shop burglary foiled, suspects aged 13-21 caught after high-speed chase
The Auburn Police Department (ADP) identified three of them on Friday as being the same suspects in a series of robberies officers were investigating just two days prior to the alleged burglary attempt.
Kolby Crossley, a spokesperson with APD, said the group crashed a stolen car into a cannabis shop overnight on Dec. 4 in Maple Valley. He said they failed to get inside and then ditched the stolen car for another getaway ride.
“And then in that car, they went on a little bit of a spree,” Crossley said. “They went to the Chevron in Auburn. That was at 3:47 a.m. They then hit a 7-Eleven (store) in Des Moines, and that was at 4:18 a.m. Then after that, they hit Arco in Kent. That was at 4:37, so within an hour, they hit three different spots.”
Other news: Police warn elderly women after string of purse snatchings in Gig Harbor
He said the three had an even younger accomplice – a 10-year-old boy. The group was armed with a knife, police said, but no injuries were reported.
“We believe the three older ones are the ones that were arrested in Fall City,” Crossley said.
He said police are still looking for the 10-year-old who, according to police reports, was not present at the gun shop burglary attempt.
“We understand that people might be worried, workers at these stores might feel threatened, but the good news is (authorities) did arrest the people in this case,” Crossley said. “And if we can’t prevent these crimes, we’re going to do everything we can to hold people accountable no matter their age.”
Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories here. Follow Sam on X, or email him here.
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