A 14-year-old boy was robbed at knife point Wednesday night in Maple Leaf, Seattle police say.
In an email early this afternoon Officer Lauren Lovanhill writes:
Officers arrested three robbers last night and recovered stolen property belonging to a 14-year-old boy shortly after they were taken at knife point.
The boy was walking home from his friend’s house in Maple Leaf just after 10 p.m. last night when two subjects, 15 and 16-years-old, ran up to him. They grabbed him and pulled him to the side of a building where another 18-year-old suspect approached and held a knife to his neck and demanded his wallet and backpack. The robbers asked what size shoe he wore and when he told them 9.5, they told him he was “lucky that his feet were small.”
The robbers stole his backpack along with the clothes off his back and ran off.
The victim flagged down a bicyclist who offered his cell phone to call 911.
Officer Ryan Ellis found three suspects matching the description not far away. The victim confirmed the three detained were the same people who robbed him.
A K9 officer arrived and helped locate the victim’s stolen items. Most were found strewn along the sidewalk from the scene to where the robbers were found. The rest of his property was found in the pockets of the suspects as well as the knife used.
One of the suspects was booked into King County Jail and the other two were juveniles and booked into the Youth Service Center for investigation of Robbery.
The email does not give an exact location. However, the Seattle Police crime map shows a ROBBERY-STREET-WEAPON at Northeast 85th Street and Roosevelt Way Northeast at 10:27 p.m. Wednesday.
In addition, Jodi posted Wednesday night at Nextdoor Northgate/Maple Leaf:
Several police vehicles arrived at corner of 12th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 94th Street, following one patrol car that used a megaphone to tell the occupant to “come out, now.” This was about 10:30 p.m. and cars with flashing lights still there. Anyone with information would be appreciated if you post.
http://imgur.com/gallery/5tu1IGi
Complain, complain, complain. Is that all you do?
Yes, homelessness and petty crimes exist in every neighborhood. Based on your rant, your solution is to to carry bear spray.
I called the non-SOS number (206-625-5011) this morning to report two shoes found in separate locations that I suspected were related to Wednesday night’s armed robbery. I wasn’t on hold all that long and the dispatcher listened to my report and said she’d send an officer over. He arrived within 15 minutes and picked them up.
I have called in to 911 on several occasions only to be shunted to their “Non Emergency” line. It would be more effective to kick a tree than wait forty minutes for somebody to answer the non emergency line for something the dispatcher has decided is not worthy of taking a report on.
There was a similar robbery about six months ago on 8th NE, sounds like the same crew, same MO.
The Meth RV is still parked on NE 106th at 8th, they are now trashing the park there and have been for weeks. Police seem disinterested.
The raving bushy haired lunatic with all the shopping carts full of junk seems to have taken up residence near BevMo, Wine Beer and More and Northgate Storage on Roosevelt. He is nuts, give him a wide berth.
I carry an industrial sized bear repellant spray instead of a gun, nobody dies but my wallet stays mine.
The needle count in our area park is WAAY up, when will we see a bike cop patrolling these trails?
Two friends of mine report break ins in the last week.
Well done SPD! Three police vehicles moving very quickly to Roosevelt/88th then quickly going up and down neighborhood streets. You could tell they were on a mission. Some stayed to look after and question the boy. Glad to know they caught the bad guys.
Total punks. The way our system works they will be back on the streets in no time. Hopefully next time they don’t seriously injure someone.
No different than the kid that attacked the Tuba Man. A year or so later he was the one involved in shooting at the former Munch Bar in Bellevue. Once a punk, most likely always a punk.
Odd nobody mentioned this happened just a few hours after the community ice cream social. There’s only so much the community can do.
Nice work SPD! Kudos to the cyclist who helped out by lending his phone. I’m starting to think arming myself with Mace or a stun gun is a good idea when walking in my own neighborhood.
It sounds like a good outcome to me and good police response. Of course its horrible it happened at all. BTW the last I heard on the Thornton Place body was it could be homicide, suicide or an accident and the public was not at risk.
The police are a joke. My house was burglared in Maple Leaf awhile back, and I had an expensice bIke stolen. I filed a report with the police, and they gave their info to me to follow-up if I had questions or further information. I did my own investigating and found that some neighbors saw a suspicious person in the alley earlier that day and called the cops. I was hoping to try to link them together, but the police never returned my call.
“How would a Block Party or Block Watch have prevented this crime?”
My 2 cents is that a more active neighborhood, where neighbors know each other and make an effort to be vigilant about any suspicious activity — creates an environment in which the criminal element would feel less comfortable breaking the law.
I’m probably one of the rare grumpy old men that calls the cops from time to time when people are loitering where they shouldn’t be (kids drinking beer and smoking pot on my parking strip), or when the Kona Kitchen is violating residential quite hours.
(turns out the kids were a couple of kitchen workers at the Kona Kitchen)
Christopher, 14-years-olds can get a concealed carry permit? That sounds like a great idea. Nothing could go wrong there.
I wish there would be a better police patrolling presence.
How would a Block Party or Block Watch have prevented this crime?
What is to prevent armed teenagers from attacking an adult? Remember the Ballard High teen that murdered a man for his cell phone in Greenwood in 2014?
Maybe they know something about the arson at St Catherines?
A murder at Northgate, Arson at St Catherines, now armed robbery?
You can get your concealed carry permit at the King County Courthouse.
http://www.kingcounty.gov/safety/sheriff/Services/Gun.aspx
It’s more important than ever to take part in your community block parties. Get to know your neighbors and exchange contact information. Organizing a Block Watch is a great idea too. You can find helpful links on the SPD website.
You’ll be safe so long as you’re not a 14 year old boy.
What happened to our safe neighborhood? I have walked on Roosevelt Way at night many times, now I’m getting afraid to do so.