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Seattle Police: Teen suspects connected to 14 robberies, most targeting residents of Asian descent

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Seattle Police: Teen suspects connected to 14 robberies, most targeting residents of Asian descent


After a string of at least 14 armed robberies targeting families of Asian descent in South Seattle, Seattle Police are now speaking out about the investigation and warning community members about the disturbing trend. 

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Shocking video that was released this week shows a man in South Seattle being attacked with a taser during an armed robbery. In that video, two people run up behind him wearing masks, one pointing a gun and the other shooting a stun gun. They steal the man’s wallet, jewelry, car keys and his phone. They also try to take his rings off his fingers, but they are stuck, so it takes them several tries before it finally works. The robbery happens in broad daylight. 

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Police say the teens, in masks, are targeting homes primarily the Rainier Beach, Rainier View and Beacon Hill neighborhoods.

“It’s a group of three to seven Black males in their teens. They are armed and they are targeting elderly Asians within our communities within the south precinct,” said officer Judinna Gulpan with the Seattle Police Department.

Police now saying the crime spree is larger than initially thought. Last week, they reported that eight homes had been hit since Aug. 6. Now, it’s believed they’ve robbed 14 homes since June.  

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“They are accosting these victims outside their homes or forcing their way into their homes,” said Gulpan.

Police say the group typically holds the victims at gunpoint while stealing cash and jewelry using a stolen Kia or Hyundai as a getaway vehicle. Despite 13 out of the 14 victims being of Asian descent, police say they don’t classify the cases as hate crimes.  

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“Hate crimes are targeted against people because of their ethnicity and this is more about people that they think are easy targets and that’s what we are finding so far,” said Lt. John O’Neil with the Seattle Police Department.

Seattle Police confirmed Tuesday that they are investigating whether the robbery involving the stun gun is connected to the string of violent home invasions, committed by a crew of teens, specifically targeting victims of Asian descent.  

“Everyone saw the video of the last one that happened, and that was tragic and disturbing, and so this is the kind of thing they are doing, they are going after people that they think are easy targets,” said O’Neil.

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Residents in South Seattle have experienced a number of other violent incidents this summer. On Aug. 20, three people were killed and six others were injured in an early morning shooting at a hookah bar and in July, five people were shot at a community event outside a Safeway.

When asked if the teens can be connected to incidents like these, police said they are looking into it. 

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“As soon as we have that information, we will release it,” said O’Neil. 

Seattle Police ask that if you see anything suspicious, call 911, be hyper-vigilant and consider installing lighting around your home to deter criminal activity, along with alarms and/or video security systems.  



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Seattle, WA

Henderson's 14 lead UIC over Seattle U 79-68

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Henderson's 14 lead UIC over Seattle U 79-68


SEATTLE — – Ahmad Henderson II had 14 points in UIC’s 79-68 victory against Seattle U on Friday night.

Henderson also contributed five rebounds, nine assists, and four steals for the Flames (8-4). Modestas Kancleris added 12 points while going 3 of 5 and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line while he also had seven rebounds. Javon Jackson had 12 points and shot 3 of 6 from the field and 5 for 6 from the line.

The Redhawks (4-8) were led by Brayden Maldonado, who posted 22 points and three steals. John Christofilis added 11 points for Seattle U. Maleek Arington also had 10 points, five assists, three steals and two blocks.

UIC took the lead with 40 seconds to go in the first half and never looked back. The score was 34-32 at halftime, with Jackson racking up seven points. UIC outscored Seattle U in the second half by nine points, with Henderson scoring a team-high nine points after halftime.

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NEXT UP

UIC next plays Sunday against Illinois State on the road, and Seattle U will visit Washington on Monday.

——

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.br/]

Copyright © 2024 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.

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Seattle, WA

Uber sues the City of Seattle

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Uber sues the City of Seattle


Uber is taking Seattle to court. The Seattle Times reported Uber is suing to block a law that would regulate when it can deactivate a driver.

The lawsuit claims that the city is infringing on the company’s rights by limiting its ability to manage drivers based on performance and safety concerns.

“Uber believes that ensuring consumers receive reliable, efficient and, above all, safe deliveries is more important than allowing couriers with consistently low consumer ratings — a sign of serious performance and/or safety issues — to keep disappointing consumers. The city does not,” the suit read.

The Seattle City Council passed the law in 2023, with strong support from then-council member Theresa Mosqueda.

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MyNorthwest News: WA Uber, Lyft drivers getting paid family, medical leave benefits

“To deactivate a driver or to cut someone off to have their ability to have an income with no warning and no recourse is just wrong,” she said at the time.

The law, set to take effect on New Year’s Day, aims to provide more transparency and fairness in the deactivation process. It requires companies like Uber to establish a “reasonable” policy for deactivations, give drivers advance notice and conduct fair investigations.

Uber argues that the law will hinder its ability to quickly address issues related to driver performance and safety, potentially leading to poorer service for customers. The company also contends that the law violates its constitutional rights by forcing it to associate with problematic drivers and disclose confidential business information.

Crime blotter: Uber passenger recovering after being shot on way to Bellevue

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The law is part of a broader effort by Seattle lawmakers and labor advocates to protect gig workers, who often lack the ability to unionize. It includes provisions to prevent deactivations based on insufficient driving hours, low customer ratings, or declined ride offers, except in extreme cases.

Additionally, companies must provide drivers with records justifying their deactivation and allow them to contest the decision. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, who signed the bill into law, emphasized the importance of protecting app-based workers from sudden deactivations that could threaten their livelihoods. However, Uber maintains that its existing policies are sufficient to ensure safety and reliability for consumers.

Contributing: Frank Lenzi, KIRO Newsradio

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here. 

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Metro bus murder suspect arrested last year for stabbing, killing roommate

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Seattle Metro bus murder suspect arrested last year for stabbing, killing roommate


The man who is wanted for the murder of a Seattle Metro bus driver was arrested a year ago for the murder of his roommate, but released due to a lack of evidence, according to the prosecutor’s office.

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Seattle Police say 53-year-old Richard Sitzlack murdered 59-year-old Shawn Yim early Wednesday morning.

Yim, a King County Metro driver, only had two passengers on the bus when he was killed: the accused murderer and a witness, who FOX 13 Seattle spoke to on Thursday morning. 

Seattle Police released a photo of the accused killer more than 30 hours after the murder.

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Police identify 53-year-old Richard Sitzlack in deadly Seattle bus driver stabbing. (Seattle Police Department)

However, police tell FOX 13 Seattle someone reportedly saw Sitzlack downtown around 8 p.m. Wednesday. That is about five miles from where the attack happened in the University District, and 15 hours after the attack.

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Seattle police would not provide any more details on the sighting of Sitzlack.

“We are seeking the public’s help in finding this person,” said Detective Eric Muñoz with SPD. “The Metro coach drivers all have his photograph, every police officer in the city has his photograph and information.”

A year ago, Sitizlack was behind bars for a similar incident.

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Officials from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office said Sitzlack was arrested for murder in connection with the death of his roommate. 

However, no charges were filed, and Sitzlack was released.

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“Both police and prosecutors looked at the admissible evidence and thought we can’t disprove the claim of self-defense,” said Casey McNerthney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

According to the prosecutor’s office, Sitzlack claimed his roommate tried to kill him with a machete. He fought back and stabbed his roommate to death, then called the police, according to the report. 

“If King County prosecutors had the evidence to charge him with murder, we would have charged him with murder,” said McNerthney.

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The transit union is offering a $10k reward to the person who helps find the murderer. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the Seattle Police Department’s Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000

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