Gang of female robbers on S.W. Holden
On Mar. 8, just after 1 a.m., officers in a patrol vehicle were flagged down by a man who informed them he had just been robbed by three women on S.W. Holden St. Just minutes earlier, before making contact with the victim, these officers had seen three people running along 12 Ave. S.W. They were unable to locate these potential suspects later.

The victim explained that he had gotten off the bus at 9 Ave. S.W. and Holden St. and was walking home when the three suspects approached him. One of the women ordered him to give them everything he had. The victim refused and began pleading with them and asking why they were doing this to him.

At that point the three women began grabbing and punching the victim, ripping items out of his pockets and off of him at the same time. One suspect grabbed and held the victim while another one punched him in the face. The third suspects pulled his backpack off and pulled belonging away what she could while he was being beaten. Once they had gotten everything the three women ran away northbound on 12 Ave. S.W.

The three suspects were only described as black females. The victim was treated at the scene and eventually transported to Harbor View for swelling around his eye. An area check turned up negative results. The three suspects remain at large.

Brutal assault on Barton St.
Five shoplifters were arrested on Mar. 9 after attacking a man at a bus stop on the 2600 block of S.W. Barton St. Two of the suspects were juveniles and were booked into the Youth Services Center after their arrests.

The incident began while the victim was working a shift at the QFC in Westwood Village and spotted a girl he thought he knew wandering the aisles. When he approached the girl and her friends he found out he was mistaken but from his conversations with them he soon came to realize that this girl and her friends were shoplifting. The girl and her friends were allowed to leave the store without being detained.

Later, at around 3:54 p.m., the victim walked over to the bus stop on the 2600 block of S.W. Barton St. and saw the same girl waiting there as well. The victim approached her again and told her that she shouldn’t ever return to that QFC.

While this conversation was going on one of the girl’s friends reached into her bag and pulled out a container of pepper spray. The victim put his hands up and started backing away before he was sprayed in the face. The blast knocked him to the ground at which point the group and another suspect began punching him in the face. While this was going on one of the girls stole the victim’s cellphone. The group eventually ran off and left the victim on the ground.

After being treated for the wounds to his face by the fire department the victim was driven to different stop locations for the bus line and positively identified this group at another stop. Five of the suspects were arrested. Two of the suspects, including the one the victim initially thought he knew, were taken to juvenile services for outstanding warrants. All face charges from the assault as well as the shoplifting.

Crimes reported between Mar. 7 and Mar. 14

Burglaries by block: 4800 block of S.W. Hinds St., 3600 block of 42 Ave. S.W., 2900 block of S.W. Avalon WY, 4300 block of S.W. Juneau St., 6000 block of 39 Ave. S.W., 8600 block of 12 Ave. S.W., 10000 block of 42 Ave. S.W.

Car prowls by block: 1100 block of Alki Ave. S.W., 2700 block of California Ave. S.W., 3400 block of 41 Ave. S.W., 42 Ave. S.W. / S.W. Spokane St., 4500 block of 36 Ave. S.W., 8000 block of Fauntleroy WY S.W., 7900 block of 1 Ave. S., 6 Ave. S.W. / S.W. Cloverdale St., 500 block of S. Donovan St., 35 Ave. S.W., 4300 block of S.W. 100 St., 10000 block of 41 Ave. S.W., 10200 block of 40 Ave. S.W., 10200 block of 47 Ave. S.W., 4200 block of S.W. 104 St.

Car thefts by block: S.W. Walker St. / 44 Ave. S.W., 2400 block of Alki Ave. S.W., Beach Dr. S.W. / S.W. Andover St., 5600 block of 16 Ave. S.W., 6300 block of 29 Ave. S.W., 6500 block of California Ave. S.W., 7500 block of 24 Ave. S.W., 8800 block of Delridge WY S.W., 3000 block of S.W. Barton St., 4100 block of S.W. 106 St.