Seattle man charged with two counts of attempted robbery

Police arrested a 31-year-old man wanted for the assault and robbery of two victims in the downtown Seattle area Tuesday morning.

Just before 9 a.m., officers responded to the area of 5th Avenue and University Street for an attempted robbery call, according to Seattle Police.

Police contacted a female victim who said she was thrown to the pavement by the suspect as he tried to take her purse.

Bystanders ran to assist the victim and tried to detain the suspect, but he broke free and ran from the scene.

As officers were aiding the victim, they learned of another person who was assaulted by the same suspect in the area of 4th Avenue and Seneca Street. Police located the second victim, who said she was also attacked from behind by the suspect who tried to steal her backpack.

Gun violence rising on Washington state highways

Security officers at the United States Courthouse watched on surveillance cameras as the suspect ran into an alley and changed his clothing. They provided updated information to 911, which led police to the suspect. He was taken into custody and positively identified by witnesses and the victims.

Officers recovered the suspect’s backpack and a fixed-blade knife which fell out when bystanders went to intervene.

The suspect was booked on two counts of attempted robbery.

Man steals more than $1M in federal relief money

A man who used to live in Seattle was convicted of stealing state and federal relief money during the pandemic and will spend more than eight years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Nick Brown says 42-year-old Bryan Sparks stole more than a million dollars in jobless benefits and small business loans.

Sparks was indicted for the fraud scheme in November of 2021 and pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in January.

He was also ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution.

U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said he was “appalled by the damage Sparks had done,” calling the man “a serial thief and a fraudster.”

Man sleeping in doorway, arrested for weapons possession

A call about an unwanted person asleep in a doorway ended in a weapon arrest in the Mount Baker neighborhood Monday morning.

Just before 10 a.m., officers were called to the 2600 block of Walker Street after employees of a business went to ask a man to leave and noticed a gun under him as he got up. The subject grabbed the firearm from the ground and was seen with it by the employees.

As officers arrived, they spotted the man at the front of the business. He was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit, and police did not find the gun on his person.

A Seattle Police K-9 unit trained to locate firearms was called to the scene and found the gun in bushes nearby. Officers recovered the gun and confirmed the 26-year-old suspect was a convicted felon and prohibited from legally having a firearm.

He was arrested and booked into the King County Jail for unlawful possession of a firearm and an unrelated felony warrant.