Teens arrested in connection with robberies of middle-schoolers
SEATTLE - Police arrested a group of teenagers who may be connected to recent armed robberies of middle-school students at Roxhill Park, officials said.
Officers seized a gun, impounded two cars and arrested eight teens in the park Friday evening, and are now investigating possible connections between the teens and several burglaries and robberies, including two recent armed muggings.
The arrests came after police stepped up patrols around Roxhill Park in the wake of the robberies.
At about 4 p.m. Friday, patrol officers noticed a dozen teens milling around the area of the park where gunmen earlier had robbed two groups of middle schoolers of their cell phones and cash and hit two of the middle-schoolers with the butt of a shotgun.
When police approached the group of teens, several of them took off running. Officer were able to catch up to eight of the teens, who are all between 14 and 18 years old.
Officers arrested and booked one of them, an 18-year-old man, into the King County Jail for investigation of a weapons violation after police found a handgun and a box of ammo in the car he’d been driving.
Officers released the seven other teens at the scene, but police are now examining links between several of the teens and several robberies and burglaries in the West Seattle area.
Police also seized two cars from the park and are obtaining warrants to search the vehicles. At least one of the cars may be associated with a recent robbery case, police said.
Officers seized a gun, impounded two cars and arrested eight teens in the park Friday evening, and are now investigating possible connections between the teens and several burglaries and robberies, including two recent armed muggings.
The arrests came after police stepped up patrols around Roxhill Park in the wake of the robberies.
At about 4 p.m. Friday, patrol officers noticed a dozen teens milling around the area of the park where gunmen earlier had robbed two groups of middle schoolers of their cell phones and cash and hit two of the middle-schoolers with the butt of a shotgun.
When police approached the group of teens, several of them took off running. Officer were able to catch up to eight of the teens, who are all between 14 and 18 years old.
Officers arrested and booked one of them, an 18-year-old man, into the King County Jail for investigation of a weapons violation after police found a handgun and a box of ammo in the car he’d been driving.
Officers released the seven other teens at the scene, but police are now examining links between several of the teens and several robberies and burglaries in the West Seattle area.
Police also seized two cars from the park and are obtaining warrants to search the vehicles. At least one of the cars may be associated with a recent robbery case, police said.
We need to bring back military style schools, especially in this state, as our youth seem to have this "bad-ass" mentality and having to prove it seems to be a badge of honor to them. Going to jail is a joke. They are released within weeks/months and on probation, which really means nothing to these kids.
It is a shame, but we (tax payers) may be paying for more jails/prisons to be built vs schools.
This state needs to stop with this liberalism, bleeding heart crap and let parents spank their kids. A good ole fashion spanking once in a while, like the ones we received from our parents, would do some good. Also, adults and parents alike need to support one another when it comes to raising and disciplining these kids. We all have the same issues when it comes to raising children. SO stop being so judgemental on how other parents are raising their children and support one another. It starts with us...the adults...the parents. Stop being a bunch hypocrites and let's support each other. I give you all permission to confront my child if you seem him out of line or disrespectful to anyone when I am not with him.
And another thing, stop relying on Dr. Phil to give you answers on how to deal with your own kids. We are these kids parents and life advisors, not their "friends"!
I say "good work" to the police. Im sure there are others out there who are not fans of the police and only think they beat people up. These perps in the park were extremely dangerous using guns and beating on middle school aged kids. If I became one of their victims, there would be less of them living and the community safer.Â
Parents should have to pick up the tab for incarcerating their child up to 18 years of age. Maybe then they'll have an incentive to get involved. Don't the kids have homework or sports to be doing after school? I guess that's the question, are they even still attending school since thugs aren't the brightest individuals.Â
 @NWlife If our system actually allowed the parents to do anything about their incorrigible kids I'd agree with you. Sorry, but if the 'government' takes away pretty much all meaningful ways of disciplining them, then the 'government' can pay to try and fix the mess it allowed.
Sad that the police have to 'parent' these days. Wish more people couldn't and wouldn't have children if they cannot make a decent effort to raise them decently. By decent, I mean basic human decency. Don't steal, don't harm others, help others, make people smile rather than cry.
Maybe they were waiting for todays gun turn in? Could happen. Or maybe not. Im sure though that in the future thugs and felons will happily turn in their guns. After all, they care about things. How many of these "kids" had fathers replaced by a check/program? And don't say this isn't a factor.
Seriously, where do these kids get handguns and shotguns?Â
 @lakeview Steal them or their homeboys give it to them.
good job spd, but to bad the pos will be out of jail in no time. We should just donate them to Antartica
 @futhi151 Or even Adak. Lots of old Navy housing up there.
I appreciate the policework on this. I hope the criminals are punished to the fullest extent of the law. In this state it is more likely the offenders lifestyle of crime is merely inconvenienced for a short time, they will be back out on the street in no time and still a menace to decent society.
Organized crime, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and the most these punks will get is one year. What a shame.
 @Magic 8 Ball Hm...maybe get RICO involved?
 @RapierBill  @Magic 8 Ball It's a symptom of a hug a thug liberal welfare system where pops is in jail and momma sits at home collecting welfare for her kids.
It is sad that good police work is followed by a flawed criminal justice system that is a revolving door of failed rehabilitation.
 @al_wa Maybe that's why cops go insane and sometimes use excessive force on perps.
They should abandon the rule that says the names of the defendants can't be published because they are minors.  If we start making these little pieces of crap publicly accountable to the people around them, maybe they will think again about doing this stuff.  We protect them until they turn 18.  But by that time they have lost all sense of accountability.Â
@Semper Fi I wonder why they are allowed to 'mill' around in parks by their parents. Seems for too many people, parenting is a thing of the past. Parents should no where their kids are and what type of friends they have. There are some good parents who has a kid that won't listen. However, if one looks at the home lives of these teens, you'll have most of the story.
 @Semper Fi  Public shaming clearly does not work anymore in certain "communities."
 @lakeview  @Semper Fi It disappeared because it was not PC, not because it didn't work.
 @Getov Mylon  @lakeview  @al_wa A symptom of liberal Seattle's love of diversity and multiculturalism.
 @lakeview  @al_wa "Other" communities?Â
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Oh... I get it. Mums the word.
 @al_wa It still works in most communities. Just not those "other" communities.Â
 @Semper Fi In the small towns were everyone knows everything about everybody the kids that crossed the line were ostracized until they got their act together. The good old days....
They have a shotgun, a handgun and a box of ammo? It was only a matter of time until some kid didn't want to hand over his stuff and got shot. Too bad we can't treat them as adults and throw them in jail (except for the 18 year old). Probably why they were doing it, because they know they can get away with it.
So glad the officers are on the job to try to put an end to this.
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Hopefully the teens can put their lives in order, but for sure the middle schoolers need to be safe.
 @flashlight "Hopefully the teens can put their lives in order."
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I will wager $1 that these kids will EACH have spent time in the correctional system by the time they are 21. If they haven't already.