BELLEVUE, Wash. — A group of teens accused in an armed carjacking in Bellevue on Friday night were arrested in Vancouver, Wash.
According to the Bellevue Police Department (BPD), four teenage boys from Portland drove a stolen Hyundai Elantra to Bellevue. The teens – 14, 15, 16 and 17 years old – are accused of carjacking and threatening a woman with a gun.
Police said the carjacking happened in the 10000 block of SE 13th Place, Friday night around 7 p.m.
“They followed a grandmother driving a BMW back to her residence. Once she parked, they got out of their vehicle and held her at gunpoint,” said Drew Anderson, public information officer for the Bellevue Police Department. “The best thing about this dark scenario is she put her life before everything else.”
Anderson said the woman’s car was full of things she had purchased throughout her day of running errands. Once she was confronted by the group, she did not put up a fight.
“If something as horrific as a carjacking happens to you, put your life before your valuables,” Anderson said.
The victim gave police a description of the suspects and her car. Soon after, Bellevue police found the stolen Elantra. The teens ditched it close to where the carjacking happened. Officials started receiving tips from other agencies.
“A concerned resident called in and said some folks were dumping items at a dumpster in that community," Anderson said. "The description of the suspects matched the carjacking suspect."
Two hours after the call about the carjacking, the BPD received a tip from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The suspects attempted to enter the base at the 41st Street entrance near Exit 120 on Interstate 5. Determining the group was on I-5, the Washington State Patrol got involved. Troopers made a traffic stop on the black BMW and arrested all four suspects 15 minutes outside of Vancouver.
Anderson said Bellevue Police continue to investigate this case and will provide more updates once they’re available.