Three suspects were arrested last night by East Precinct officers following an armed robbery that occurred in the Yesler Terrace neighborhood. Robbery detectives are conducting the follow up investigation.

On Wednesday, shortly after 7:00 pm, the victim arranged to meet with the unknown suspect to purchase a cell phone. The meeting occurred in the 1100 block of East Spruce Street. According to the victim, the suspect showed the victim a cell phone and the victim agreed to purchase it. The suspect then pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the victim, and demanded his phone, jacket and car keys. The victim’s wallet and a large amount of cash were in the jacket pocket. The suspect then ran to a nearby waiting car, jumped in, and left the area. The victim was able to call 911 to report the robbery.

East Precinct officers arrived quickly and began tracking the victim’s cell phone with a locator app. Officers tracked the victim’s phone to the 1600 block of South Lane Street, where they located three men standing nearby. The suspects were detained and the victim was able to positively identify the one suspect that robbed him at gunpoint. Officers located a backpack nearby that contained a handgun, which was later determined to be stolen, and the victim’s wallet and ID and car key inside.

Officers located the suspect’s vehicle parked two blocks away which was positively identified as the car the suspect fled in. The suspects were arrested. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that one of the suspects had a large amount of marijuana in his belongings and had lied about his name to officers. Two of the suspects, 21 and 19, were arrested and transported to police headquarters where they were interviewed by detectives. The third suspect, 19, was identified and released at the scene.

Following the interviews the two suspect were booked into the King County Jail. This remains an active and on-going investigation.

Here are some personal safety tips when meeting an unknown person to buy or sell something:

Meet in a public place, preferably a well-lit area with people around. A police station is an ideal location.

Tell a friend or family member where you are going and when to expect you back.

If possible, always have someone with you.

Here are some additional personal safety tips