SEATTLE — A 19-year-old was arrested early Tuesday morning in connection to a string of robberies at massage parlors in the Chinatown-International District and Rainier Valley.
Detectives said the 19-year-old suspect was taken into custody at about 4:30 a.m. at his home in the 7200 block of 38th Avenue South.
Investigators linked the suspect to robberies on Nov. 17 and Dec. 2.
A woman was hospitalized after being shot during the Nov. 17 robbery in Seattle's Chinatown-International District. The Seattle Police Department said officers were called to the 600 block of South Jackson Street just before midnight for a reported robbery.
According to police, the suspect demanded money from a 33-year-old woman, who complied and gave him cash. Afterward, police said the suspect pistol-whipped the victim and demanded more money. When the victim told the suspect there was no more cash the suspect shot the victim and fired another round into the video surveillance unit.
When police arrived at the business, they found a woman with a gunshot wound. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center in "serious but stable" condition.
The suspects fled the scene with stolen cash, police said.
Community members raised concerns about safety after the robbery.
"It has never been this bad," Binko Chiong Bisbee said. "It is the worst that I have seen it. "I have been here for 20 years and this is not a normal situation. Something is happening to our neighborhood."
In the Dec. 2 robbery, investigators said the same suspect entered a massage parlor in the 3700 block of Rainier Avenue South. The 19-year-old allegedly pulled out a firearm, demanded cash and struck a 61-year-old woman in the head with the gun. The woman emptied the cash register and gave the man money. Police said the suspect fired several rounds into the ceiling before leaving on foot.
Detectives are investigating an unreported robbery that may have involved the 19-year-old. Police said the suspect was arrested and booked into the King County Jail for robbery, assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Anyone with information about these incidents or other crimes is asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.
