Police searching for 14-year-old murder suspect in Federal Way
Feb 19, 2016, 12:56 PM | Updated: 1:26 pm
Federal Way police are telling the public to call 9-1-1 with any information about Diante J. Pellum, 14, a student at Saghalie Middle School. The public is instructed not to have any contact with Pellum as he is considered armed and dangerous. (Federal Way Police)
(Federal Way Police)
Federal Way police are searching for a 14-year-old suspect in the fatal shooting of a teenager earlier this month. The suspect is considered armed and dangerous.
Federal Way police are telling the public to call 9-1-1 with any information about Diante J. Pellum, 14, a student at Saghalie Middle School. He is sought in connection to a homicide. The public is instructed not to make any contact with Pellum as he is considered armed and dangerous.
Pellum is 5’5″ tall, 135 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.
Police responded to reports of a gunshot at a fast food restaurant in the 2000 block of SW Campus Drive in Federal Way at 8:09 p.m. on Feb. 13. They found a male teenage victim who was fatally shot inside a vehicle parked at the restaurant. The King County Medical Examiner has concluded that the teenager died from homicidal violence, according to Federal Way police.
Witnesses told police that two other teenagers fled the vehicle shortly after the gunshot was heard.
One 16-year-old male suspect was taken into custody on Feb. 18 on the campus of Thomas Jefferson High School in Federal Way. Upon searching that suspect, police found a handgun. He has since been booked into the King County Juvenile Detention Center for investigation of murder.
The initial investigation into the fatal shooting, including an interview with the arrested 16-year-old suspect, has revealed that the two teenage suspects met the teenage victim in his car to buy marijuana. The Federal Way police have said the “senseless crime” was motivated by the drug sale.
Information about the crime or Pellum’s whereabouts can be reported to the Federal way Police Department at 253-835-2121. Anonymous tips can be sent in through www.safecityfw.com.
