FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Four teens, aged 13 to 16, were taken into custody after allegedly assaulting and attempting to rob a woman at a Safeway in Federal Way. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when officers were called to the scene at the Safeway located at 1207 South 320th Street.
According to the Federal Way Police Department (FWPD), the four suspects were driving a stolen car and made an attempt to steal a purse from a woman’s shoulder. The suspects, in the violent assault, grabbed the victim, a woman in her 40s, by the hair, threw her to the ground, and proceeded to kick her while she was down. Bystanders, including a retired police officer, were able to intervene and stop the attack, while the victim sustained minor injuries.
One of the bystanders held one suspect at gunpoint, while the others escaped in the stolen car. However, the police were able to recognize one of the teens from surveillance video and tracked them down to a residence after the mother of one of the teens called the police. Despite the teens’ attempt to escape again, the three remaining suspects were apprehended by the police.
The four suspects, three of whom are 13 years old and one who is 16, were booked into the King County juvenile detention center for first-degree robbery. Additionally, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has gathered enough evidence to pursue charges for at least two of the suspects for attempted robbery.
The FWPD stated that a supervisor noticed a news story about similarly-described suspects involved in vehicle prowling in Bellevue, and they are working with Bellevue police to determine if the same suspects are involved in both cases. The suspects are expected to appear back in court Thursday afternoon to face the charges brought against them.