SEATTLE — A group of juveniles, including a 7-year-old, are wanted for robbery in north Seattle after an incident earlier this week.
On Monday, five 15-year-old girls were riding a King County Metro bus headed southbound on Wallingford Avenue North when a group of about 10 juveniles between the ages of 7 and 17 got on the bus. Police say they began to make biased comments about the girls' race and privilege.
The teen girls decided to get off the bus at North 82nd Street near Green Lake because they felt intimidated, according to Seattle police. The suspects followed them and surrounded the victims after getting off the Metro coach.
The suspects demanded money using "foul" language, according to police.
At one point, a suspect, believed to be around 7 years old, was brandishing a hatchet. This made the victims fear for their safety, so one of them opened their handbag, after which one of the suspects, who had a baby on her hip, stole their cash.
"A 7-year-old armed with a hatchet is a very alarming thing," said Detective Eric Muñoz, with the Seattle Police Department Public Affairs
The girls started walking away and using their phones when the suspects started chasing them.
The victims fled to a nearby ice cream shop near Wallingford Avenue North and East Green Lake Drive North to call police.
Police searched the area for the group of suspects but could not find them.
Seattle Police say we are seeing an alarming number of juvenile crimes and said they do always expect an increase this time of year.
"Crime does rise in the summertime, especially with younger juveniles, because none of them are in school, they're typically on summer vacation," said Detective Muñoz.
The incident is being investigated as first-degree robbery due to the use of a hatchet.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is weighing in on this case because it is rare for a child to be involved in an armed robbery.
"There isn't a 7-year-old who's been arrested, but anytime you see the possibility of that, it's going to raise questions. It's pretty concerning,” Casey McNerthney with KCPAO said.
According to McNerthney, state law is clear when it comes to kids and crime.
“State law says if you're younger than 8 years old, you're incapable of committing a crime in Washington. If you're between the ages of 8-12, you're presumed to be incapable,” he said.
For kids who are 13-17 and commit a crime, McNerthney said they can expect to see a courtroom. However, getting teenagers to a courtroom has its challenges.
In the past, there have been several high-profile cases involving teenagers: a 15-year-old shot and killed in the West Seattle Teen Life Center and a 17-year-old shot and killed at Garfield High School.
In the weeks and months since those teen shooting deaths, law enforcement and at least one city council member, Rob Saka, have said a state law is preventing those cases from being solved.
“Before, it wasn't required. Now, if the cops want to search a teen's backpack, they have to be able to consult with an attorney to give consent to that. If those kids are detained and police want to question them, those kids have to have access to a lawyer first,” he said. “What typically happens, and it's understandable for defense attorneys to say this, no my client doesn't want to talk."
However, McNerthney wants to assure the public that police and prosecutors are doing everything they can to solve crimes and bring cases that can hold up in court.
"It doesn’t mean police aren’t investigating crimes," McNerthney said. "They still are. It doesn’t mean prosecutors are ignoring crimes. We're still charging those, but it's under a different set of circumstances under the law since 2022."