SEAT – In a shocking incident captured on surveillance footage, five teenage girls attacked and robbed a woman after dragging her from the H-line bus.

Video footage from March 8, 2024, shows one girl grabbing the victim by her ponytail before the other girls help her push her down the steps of the bus. The woman tried to hold on to a pole while screaming for help in Spanish, but no one came to her aid.

She was thrown onto the concrete sidewalk and then repeatedly punched and kicked. The suspects stole her shopping bag filled with $375 worth of items she had purchased for her family.

Video footage shows three teenage boys who were with the girls laughing and looking at the victim as they simply walked away.

EMTs found the woman on the ground with her hair pulled out and bleeding from multiple wounds. She was taken to the emergency room for treatment.

According to Diana Chen, deputy district attorney with the King County District Attorney’s Office, the police investigation relied heavily on surveillance footage, which helped investigators identify the suspects through tips from officers, school officials and previous arrest records.

“The detective identified the youths based on their connections and criminal activities, but also based on their physical characteristics that matched the images,” Chen explained.

The King County Prosecutor’s Office initially filed second-degree robbery charges against the five minors, who range in age from 12 to 17. However, three of the teens have presented alibi defenses and submitted documents from the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention’s electronic home monitoring program showing they were in different cities at the time of the incident.

“After reviewing the available admissible evidence, the state could not proceed with prosecution against those three respondents,” Chen said. The prosecution against the remaining two individuals will continue.

Steve Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, stressed the broader implications of the case.

“Because we see that youth involvement in violent crime is increasing, we need to be much more proactive in responding to this than we have been doing so far,” he said.

Strachan stressed the importance of holding minors accountable, but also considering the long-term consequences of labelling young offenders.

“The solution, I think, is going to be a complex one that requires us to step out of our corner a little bit,” Strachan added. “Young people need to be held accountable when they need to be, 100 percent. At the same time, no one wants to see young people permanently labeled. That’s the balance we have to find, but it’s going to be a real challenge.”

As the investigation continues, law enforcement officials are calling for tougher legislation to address the rise in juvenile crime, stressing the need for a system that balances justice with rehabilitation.

If you have any information about the suspects in this case, please contact the Seattle Police Department or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at P3Tips.com or through the P3 Tips app on your mobile phone.

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