According to White Center’s Storefront Deputy BJ Myers, the streets of unincorporated King County and southern West Seattle have gotten a bit safer with the recent arrest of three men who allegedly targeted female victims to snatch jewelry and purses.

Between July 21 and Aug. 14 there were six robberies in downtown White Center and Seattle Police experienced nine nearby with a very similar set of circumstances and suspect descriptions, Myers said.

“These were robberies, not thefts, because some measure of force was used to steal or retain the items,” he said.

On Aug. 15, the KCSO Major Crimes Detectives “were able to identify potential suspects and eventually, with SPD assistance, positively identify a group of four male individuals who had been committing a large share of the robberies in both jurisdictions,” according to Myers.

Three of the four identified suspects are in custody and will be charged with counts of second degree robbery and first degree trafficking of stolen property. The fourth suspect is still on the loose.

Myers said most of the robbery crew lives in North Highline and are either friends or blood relatives.

One suspect arrested in the robberies was also involved in a fatal Skyway shooting on Aug. 1 and charged with manslaughter on Aug. 14. The Seattle Times identified that 18-year-old man as Kedric Carter, from Tukwila.

According to that report, Kedric was at an apartment where a semi-automatic pistol was being passed around. Court documents state Carter took the gun, pointed it at 19-year-old Gerard Rogers and fired, hitting Rogers with a single bullet in the heart and killing him.