SEATTLE — Detectives are linking a 15-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man to an armed robbery spree in King County.
The teen was arrested in November. The adult was taken into custody more than two weeks ago.
The first charges filed focus on what police say happened on Nov. 17. That's when a call came in about two males, one armed with a gun, committing a robbery at a 76 gas station in Renton around 7:30 p.m. More than half an hour later, there was an attempted armed robbery at a Chevron gas station in Kent. Less than ten minutes after that, police say there was an armed robbery reported at a 76 gas station in Covington.
Court documents say surveillance images helped investigators link a 15-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man to the three cases.
"In the public court documents, we've heard that there may be many more cases, potentially dozens more cases, and Sheriff's Office Investigators are working on that right now,” said Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Determination of probable cause documents state that between Nov. 2 and Nov. 18, 37 individual armed robberies have occurred in south King County that allegedly appear to have been committed by the same people.
"It's concerning when you see this kind of violence and the consistency of it. Regardless of your age, if you use a gun like this, you can expect King County prosecutors to act on it immediately,” said McNerthney.
The 15-year-old's case is going through the juvenile court system. Currently, he is charged with two counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The 21-year-old is charged with more than a dozen counts for an alleged crime spree that police say targeted businesses and gas stations. He is being held on $500,000 bail at the King County Correctional Facility.