On Oct. 28, Federal Way police officers arrested two juveniles who fled in a stolen car that was suspected of being involved in a recent string of purse-snatching cases in Federal Way and the surrounding jurisdictions, according to a news release from the city.

On Oct. 19, Federal Way police officers responded to a purse-snatching robbery at Fred Meyer in Federal Way. A short time later, another purse-snatching robbery occurred at WinCo Foods. In both incidents, elderly female victims were assaulted and injured by a female suspect as their purses were taken.

Witnesses provided officers with a license plate for the suspect’s vehicle, which was returned as stolen. The Federal Way Police Department (FWPD) released photographs of the male and female suspects to the media to identify them.

On Oct. 28 at 9 a.m., a gas station employee recognized the male suspect from the photographs distributed by local media. Officers responded to the gas station and found the suspect in the parking lot driving a stolen vehicle. When the suspect saw officers arriving, he fled in the car into Tacoma.

Federal Way officers pursued the suspects for their involvement in the robberies. After a short vehicle pursuit, the vehicle became disabled, and the occupants fled from the vehicle. The driver, a juvenile male from Kent, was immediately apprehended by officers. The passenger, a juvenile male from Kent, fled into a residential neighborhood and was also taken into custody by the responding officers.

The driver was booked into the King County Youth Detention Center for eluding a police vehicle and possessing a stolen vehicle. The detectives conducted a follow-up investigation, and the juvenile suspect was positively identified by the victim for the purse-snatching robbery. Robbery charges will be filed with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The follow-up investigation has identified the female suspect, a juvenile female from Kent, and robbery charges are being filed with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.