LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Lakewood police are asking for the public’s help identifying a group of teens believed to be involved in multiple robberies in the Tacoma area.
The Lakewood Police Department said officers working on surveillance arrested “several” suspects Thursday night as they returned to a Walmart, but investigators are seeking help identifying the other suspects involved in the incidents.
The suspects are accused of being involved in eight different incidents between Oct. 17 and Oct. 19, including five car thefts, Lakewood police said Friday.
On Oct. 17 at 3:45 a.m., a 48-year-old Lyft driver told police he was assaulted and his car was stolen near South Tacoma Way and South 72nd Street in Tacoma.
Three hours later, police said the same two suspects threw a 66-year-old woman to the ground and stole her purse at the Lakewood Walmart.
At 8:19 a.m., police said the suspects returned to Walmart with a larger group of people and assaulted an 18-year-old man. The man told police the group was trying to get his keys to steal his car. He fought back, and the suspects allegedly took his backpack.
Later that afternoon, two suspects are accused of assaulting a 78-year-old man at Kobayashi Park in University Place and stealing his car. The car was later found abandoned, police said.
At 10:03 p.m., eight to 10 people tried to steal a car from a 75-year-old man at Walmart. A Lakewood police officer who was in the parking lot on an unrelated call interrupted the incident. The group fled in a stolen car, which was later found abandoned in University Place, police said.
The next evening, the suspects are believed to have been involved in a car theft where they assaulted a 37-year-old Uber driver.
On Oct. 19 at 4:04 p.m., the suspects are believed to have struck a 47-year-old Lyft driver in his car while stealing his car and fleeing the scene.
Later that evening, four suspects returned to the Lakewood Walmart and are accused of assaulting a 23-year-old woman before stealing her car. Police said the woman jumped on the hood of the car to try and stop the theft. The suspects allegedly drove off with her on the hood, and the woman fell to the ground. She was taken to the hospital to be evaluated.
Police released surveillance footage of several of the incidents in hopes of identifying the suspects.
If you have information about any of these incidents, contact the Lakewood Police Department at (253) 830-5078.