2 men, 11-year-old boy arrested following series of holdups in Seattle

Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers arrested three suspects, including an eleven-year-old boy, in a series of South Seattle convenience store and gas station armed robberies.

Police used a helicopter and K9 patrols to capture the trio after a long chase that started in Tukwila and ended on Seattle’s First Hill, according to an SPD Blotter post.

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Investigators say the suspects are responsible for a chain of armed robberies over a 15-hour period that started just after 5:00 a.m. Friday.

Officers said the two men and the boy wore masks and dark clothing and walked into at least five businesses with guns. They allegedly stole merchandise and cash, and then drove off in stolen cars.

The armed robberies took place at convenience stores in West Seattle, High Point, Georgetown, the Rainier Valley and Tukwila.

Four of the robberies happened before 7:00 a.m. Friday. Police said during those robberies, the suspects flashed weapons at the clerks, sometimes demanding cash, before driving off in a stolen blue Kia sedan.

Officers later recovered the car near 16th Avenue South and East Marginal Way South.

A witness reported seeing the car being driven erratically before it hit a curb.

Officers discovered the sedan was undriveable. The owner had not yet reported it as stolen.

Hours later, around 8:30 p.m. Friday, police said the two men, ages 21 and 19, and the 11-year-old struck again, in Tukwila, in another armed robbery.

Tukwila police began a long chase, pursuing the men and boy in a reported stolen silver Hyundai, all the way to Central Seattle.

Police said the pursuit went through several jurisdictions and involved several police agencies, including the King County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol.

The two men and the boy allegedly stopped and ran from the Hyundai on Seattle’s First Hill, near Spring Street and Harvard Avenue.

Officers from SPD’s Community Response Group (CRG) South, East and Southwest Precincts arrived to assist with the arrests.

The CRG was formed in 2020 to help meet the city’s growing public safety needs. Officers work city-wide to enhance response to 911 emergencies.

A Seattle K9 Unit also helped contain the area with the assistance of the sheriff’s department’s Guardian One helicopter. King County Sheriff K9 units and Tukwila officers also assisted.

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All three suspects were taken into custody without a struggle. Police did not recover any guns.

Officers booked the two men into the King County Jail. The 11-year-old boy was booked into Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center.

It’s likely all three suspects are facing robbery charges.

The first four robberies occurred in the following locations:

At 5:25 a.m., in the 7200 block of East Marginal Way South.

At 5:37 a.m., in the 2800 block of Rainier Avenue South.

At 6:40 a.m., in the 7500 block of 35th Avenue Southwest.

At 6:50 a.m., in the 4500 block of Fauntleroy Way Southwest.

If you have any information about any of these armed robberies, contact SPD on its Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.

Tom Brock is a reporter, editor and anchor at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Tom’s stories here.