Police: Ballard High student who killed for cell phone disappointed victim didn't have a nicer model Teen charged as adult after cell phone theft turned deadly in Greenwood

A 17-year-old boy accused of killing a Seattle man after the other man fought off a robbery attempt has been charged as an adult.

Charged with first-degree murder, Byron White is alleged to have shot and killed David Peterson on Feb. 23 in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood. White was arrested at Sea-Tac Airport attempting to board a flight to Atlanta.

King County prosecutors contend White, a Ballard High School student, first approached Peterson at 8:30 p.m. in the 8500 block of First Avenue Northwest.

White attempted to steal Peterson’s cell phone, but Peterson, 54, fought him off, according to prosecutors. White is alleged to have walked away, then doubled back and shot Peterson in the chest, killing him.

“David Peterson went out for a walk around the neighborhood after dinner and never returned,” King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said in a statement Wednesday. “He was a random victim from a chance encounter with a dangerous young man.

“That the evidence shows he was murdered for his cellphone by a teenager with a gun makes this all the more tragic and senseless.”

According to charging papers, Peterson called 911 from the parking lot of a Mud Bay pet store and reported he’d been punched in the head by a man trying to steal his cell phone.

Peterson then told the 911 operator the man had turned around and was coming at him again. As the operator listened in, Peterson told his assailant he wasn’t giving up his phone before the call suddenly disconnected.

Police arrived minutes later to find Peterson dead in the parking lot. He’d been shot in the chest; a spent 9 mm shell casing was found nearby.

Writing the court, a Seattle detective said White arrived at an acquaintance’s home five blocks from the shooting scene shortly after Peterson was killed. White is alleged to have admitted to killing Peterson.

“He said that the man had seen his face, and he had to shoot him,” the detective said. “He showed his companions the phone he had finally taken from the man and expressed his disappointment that it was not a nicer model.”

White was arrested Saturday at Sea-Tac. According to charging papers, White admitted to killing Peterson; the gun was not recovered.

Due to the nature of the crime and his age, White was automatically charged as an adult. In Washington, juvenile defendants older than 15 who are accused of serious violent crimes automatically are prosecuted as adults.

White has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful gun possession and attempted second-degree robbery. He faces up to 35 years in prison if convicted as charged, and remains jailed on $2 million bail.

Check the Seattle 911 crime blog for more Seattle crime news. Visit seattlepi.com's home page for more Seattle news.

Seattlepi.com reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk.