Several teens arrested for series of carjackings, robberies in Lakewood area
LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Lakewood police have arrested several teens believed to be responsible for a series of carjackings and robberies in Lakewood and nearby areas.
According to the Lakewood Police Department, the suspects were returning to Walmart, presumably to commit another robbery.
“I feel a little bit relieved, but it would be nice if they catch all of them. They all need to pay for this. They hurt a lot of people, they injured a lot of people, and they need to be brought to justice for what they did,” Terry, one of the victims, said.
Some of the incidents were recorded by surveillance cameras.
The first robbery happened on Oct. 17 at 3:45 a.m. in the 7200 block of South Tacoma Way in Tacoma.
Terry was driving for Lyft and was attacked by three teenage boys. His car was stolen.
“As soon as I stopped, the passenger next to me looked at the guy behind me, like, go time, and that’s when he went like this, and they just started choking me and punching me. All of them choking me and punching me,” Terry said.
The second case happened in Lakewood on Oct. 17 at 6:55 a.m. at the Lakewood Walmart on Bridgeport Way Southwest.
Police said two male suspects pushed a 66-year-old woman to the ground and stole her purse.
The suspects in the robbery are believed to be related to the earlier incident in Tacoma.
The teens later returned to Walmart with other suspects at 8:19 a.m., and a large group of males attacked an 18-year-old man and tried to get his keys to steal his vehicle.
The man fought back and the suspects left with his backpack.
Another incident happened on the same day at 3:40 p.m. at Kobayashi Park in the 6400 block of Chambers Creek Road in University Place.
Two male suspects attacked a 78-year-old man and stole his car. It was later found abandoned in Tacoma.
The next incident happened again at Walmart on the same day at 10:03 p.m., when about eight to 10 male and female suspects tried to steal a car from a 75-year-old man.
The crime was interrupted by a Lakewood patrol officer who came into the parking lot for an unrelated call.
The suspects fled in a stolen vehicle that was later found abandoned in University Place.
It is believed the same suspects were involved in two vehicle thefts in Tacoma on Oct.18 at 8:41 p.m. and Oct. 19 at 4:04 p.m.
In both cases, the victims were attacked and their vehicles stolen.
A gun was brandished in one of the incidents.
The first victim was a 37-year-old male Uber driver and the second victim was a 47-year-old male Lyft driver.
Police said the suspects hit the Lyft driver victim with his car as they fled.
The suspects returned to the Lakewood Walmart on Oct. 19 at 6:11 p.m. Two male and two female suspects attacked a 23-year-old woman and stole her car.
During the robbery, the victim jumped on the hood of her car to try and stop the thieves, but they drove off and she fell onto the pavement.
She was later taken to a hospital to be evaluated.
Police are warning the public to be aware of their surroundings and to report any suspicious activity.
“They’ve already seriously assaulted several people in these robberies, and it doesn’t take much to seriously injure or kill somebody with some of the actions they’re taking,” Chief Mike Zarro of Lakewood Police said.
Anyone with information about the crimes or the suspects is asked to call the Lakewood Police Department at 253-830-5078.
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