Juveniles charged with first-degree robbery
SPOKANE VALLEY — Spokane Valley deputies arrested two teenage boys on Sept 25 after a robbery at Pronto Plus, 520 S. Pines Road. One suspect was taken into custody inside the store, while the other was caught a short distance away.
Around 5:30 pm, deputies responded to a call about a robbery in progress. A witness was holding the store doors shut while an employee was reportedly fighting with one of the suspects behind the counter.
When deputies arrived, they were told the second suspect had fled on foot toward the south. He was described as a white male, about 6 feet tall, wearing a gray hoodie.
One of the deputies saw the first suspect, a teen in a red hoodie, inside the store. The suspect ran toward the back of the store while the employee, who was holding a wooden stick, chased after him.
The deputy followed them and ordered the employee to back away. The deputy then focused on the suspect, who appeared to be holding something near his waistband. Not knowing if the suspect had a weapon, the deputy drew his gun and ordered the teen to show his hands. The suspect refused and began yelling at the deputy to shoot him, using racial slurs.
The deputy noticed the suspect had a blue bag in one hand and was still gripping his waistband. To try to de-escalate the situation, the deputy switched to his Taser and warned the suspect. When the teen continued to ignore commands, the deputy fired the Taser. The suspect fell to the ground, apologized, and was arrested. He was later identified as a 17-year-old juvenile.
A search revealed the suspect was unarmed.
Meanwhile, other deputies set up a perimeter and searched for the second suspect. A deputy found a teen matching the description near 16th Avenue and Pines Road. The teen was about 6 feet tall and wearing a gray hoodie. The deputy ordered him to stop and sit down. The teen complied and was arrested without incident. He was identified as a 15-year-old juvenile. A witness later confirmed he was the second suspect.
The employee told deputies that both teens entered the store and split up. He saw the second suspect hide a drink in his waistband while the first suspect approached the counter to try to buy vape cartridges. When the employee refused, the first suspect claimed he had a gun and demanded money.
The suspect then went behind the counter, grabbed vape cartridges and other items, and put them in a blue bag. The employee grabbed a wooden stick and hit the suspect several times. The second teen fled through the door while an uninvolved customer entered the store and called 911. The first suspect threatened to kill the employee, saying he had a gun, as the struggle continued until deputies arrived.
Both teens were charged with first-degree robbery. The 17-year-old was taken to the hospital for a precautionary check before being booked into the Spokane County Juvenile Justice Center. The 15-year-old was also booked into the Juvenile Justice Center.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
Reader Comments(0)