By Tim Clifford

Assault at a bonfire
An assault and attempted robbery occurred at a bonfire in a wooded area on the 4500 block of Beach Dr. S.W. shortly before 11 p.m. on June 19. Police made contact with the victim, a juvenile, and his mother at their residence shortly after the incident.

According to the victim he was at a bonfire with several other people his age and had brought his camera, a Canon DSLR, to take pictures of the fire. While snapping pictures of the gathering the suspect, also a juvenile and unknown to the victim, came up and said to the victim “you shouldn’t have brought a camera to the party” and began trying to grab the camera away. The victim yanked it back and began moving to keep the camera away from the suspect.

Becoming frustrated with the victim’s reluctance to give up the camera the suspect pushed the victim to the ground and began wailing punches to the victim’s face. The victim managed to curl up around his camera to keep it and protect from the suspect. Other party goers began to intervene and stopped the suspect.

At about this time the suspect’s mother arrived at the scene to find her son since he was violating his curfew. She walked past the victim and noticed his injuries but didn’t realize her son was responsible for them until a few of the suspect’s friends told her the whole story. The suspect’s mother offered to call 911 and gave the victim all of her and the suspect’s contact information. The victim refused to call 911 at first and later called from home.

The victim suffered a few cuts and bruises to the face and head and declined medical attention for his injuries. The suspect was arrested and booked into a youth detention center later that night.

A fistful of dollars
Police responded to a convenient store that had just been robbed by a man implying he had a gun to the cashier at 7:15 p.m. on the 1600 block of S.W. Holden St. on June 20. The suspect, a white male in his mid 20’s standing 5’10 and wearing a black hoodie and jeans, waited until all the other customers in the store had left and then rushed the cashier. While angrily demanding all of the money in the register and threatening to kill the cashier the suspect put his hand in his pocket and implied that he was going to pull a gun as well. The suspect made off with $500 dollars and fled the store.

Police were given a pretty easy time apprehending the suspect when he was seen entering another nearby convenience store waving the $500 dollars in the air and smiling while he purchased over $100 dollars’ worth of lottery tickets. The suspect was positively identified in the field by the victim after this arrest and transported to the King County Jail. It was also learned that the suspect had a warrant out for assault as well. The suspect’s clothing, cell phone and investment of lottery tickets were also booked into evidence.

Crimes reported between June 19 and June 26
Burglaries by block: 4700 block of 42 Ave. S.W., 6700 block of 34 Ave. S.W., 7100 block of Sylvan WY S.W., 3900 block of S.W. Southern St., 800 block of S. Thistle St.

Car prowls by block: 3000 block of 46 Ave. S.W., S.W. Alaska St./ 44 Ave. S.W., 4300 block of S.W. Dawson St., 5200 block of 44 Ave. S.W., S.W. Brandon St./ 40 Ave. S.W., 6300 block of 46 Ave. S.W., 6300 block of 35 Ave. S.W., Fauntleroy WY S.W./ S.W. Fontanelle St., 7500 block of 28 Ave. S.W., 6700 block of 13 Ave. S.W., 7500 block of 28 Ave. S.W., 7700 block of Delridge WY S.W., 7900 block of 29 Ave. S.W., 2600 block of S.W. Thistle St.

Car thefts by block: 3000 block of California Ave. S.W., 5200 block of California Ave. S.W., 5200 block of 38 Ave. S.W., 6000 block of 31 Ave. S.W., 6700 block of 31 Ave. S.W., 7500 block of 12 Ave. S.W., 9000 block of 36 Ave. S.W., Delridge WY S.W./ S.W. Barton St., 9400 block of 27 Ave. S.W., 1000 block of S. Cloverdale St., 10100 block of W. Marginal Pl. S.