Local News

Seattle police believe they may have caught at least one teen connected to the armed muggings and beatings of West Seattle middle-schoolers earlier this week.

When officers approached a dozen teens hanging out around 4 p.m. today near Roxhill Park, where the armed robberies took place, several of them took off running. Officers chased after them and caught eight, all between 14 and 18 years of age.

One 18-year-old was arrested and booked into King County Jail because of a gun and box of ammo in a car he’d been driving. The seven other teens were released, but police say they’re continuing to examine any links between them and recent robberies in the area.

Police are also in the process of obtaining warrants to search two vehicles at the park.

South Precinct officers have stepped up patrols in the Roxhill Park area since the robberies earlier this week, according to the department.

The first incident happened Sunday, when two men, one with a shotgun, took cash and cell phones from a group of children. Two victims were hit with the shotgun, giving them cuts and bruises. The second happened Tuesday when two men, both armed with handguns, robbed another group of children.

A pair of robbers used a shotgun and handguns to take cash and cellphones from two groups of West Seattle middle-schoolers this week, according to the Seattle Police Department’s online blotter.

The first robbery happened around 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 near 27th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Cambridge Street near Roxhill Park, according to police. After approaching the four children, the man carrying the shotgun struck two victims in the head, leaving them with cuts and bruises.

On Tuesday, wearing red bandannas over their faces, the men approached five children hanging out in Roxhill Park around 3 p.m. This time, both men pulled out handguns and told the group to get on the ground. After gathering the victims’ cellphones and cash, they fled.

In both cases, the victims provided only vague descriptions of robbers saying they looked to be about 16 or 17 years old.