FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — A teen suspect in connection to a string of purse-snatching robberies in Federal Way was arrested Saturday, the Federal Way Police Department (FWPD) said in a release Tuesday.
Police have identified another suspect, a 13-year-old girl from Kent, who has not been booked yet.
After photographs were released of the two suspects in the case earlier this month, a gas station employee recognized one of them and alerted police. Officers arrived and the suspect fled into Tacoma, according to FWPD.
A short pursuit eventually led to the vehicle becoming disabled, and the driver and passenger attempted to flee on foot. The driver was arrested immediately, and the passenger was placed in custody after he attempted to flee into a residential neighborhood.
Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell said the passenger, a juvenile male, took off running, but his getaway was cut short by Police Chief Andy Hwang, who was off duty at the time.
"He just happened to be listening to the radio, and came to the scene,” said Ferrell.
The driver, a 14-year-old boy from Kent, was booked into the King County Youth Detention Center on suspicion of eluding and possession of a stolen vehicle. The passenger was not booked, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office expects to file charges against the 14-year-old boy and the 13-year-old girl Wednesday.
"People should be able to go to the grocery store or go around town without being accosted and robbed,” Mayor Ferrell said. “Federal way is fighting back we are not going to stand back and let this happen to us. We're not going to be victims."
The two female victims were 76 and 86 years old and had their purses stolen at a Fred Meyer and WinCo Foods parking lot.
In the first incident, the 76-year-old woman was putting groceries in her car when another person, who police said was in her teens, attempted to take her purse. The elderly woman fought back but police said she was assaulted and fell to the ground. The suspect left with the purse in a blue sedan driven by a male believed to be in his teens.
Police arrived at the Fred Meyer parking lot at 9:56 a.m. After the attack, the victim needed medical attention for her injuries.
In the second incident, the 86-year-old woman was walking in the parking lot to go inside the WinCo when the blue sedan approached from behind her and the suspect snatched the purse off her shoulder, breaking the strap.
According to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, data shows across the state there were 489 purse snatchings in 2021. Last year it was slightly less with 475. When it comes to the most frequent locations for larceny theft offenses, grocery stores were in the top five with nearly 6% of reported cases in 2022.
Police advise residents to be aware of their surroundings and never risk injury fighting back for their purses. They said to hold your purse like a football player holds a football, hugging it to your ribs with one arm.
If someone is snatching your purse, police said to give it up and yell for help and run for safety.