Arrests Made In Spanaway Armed Carjacking

SPANAWAY, WA — Two young suspects have been arrested and accused of taking part in a pair of armed carjackings that locked down a Spanaway neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.

The first carjacking took place just before 3 p.m. Tuesday in the Walmart at 20307 Mountain Hwy E in Spanaway. Deputies say at 2:55 p.m. they received a call from a woman who told dispatchers that three suspects had robbed her at gunpoint, whipped her with the gun, and stolen her car before driving off.

While officers interviewed the woman and scoured the Walmart parking lot for more information, dispatchers received a flood of calls from witnesses who had heard a half dozen gunshots fired near the intersection 14th Ave and 203rd St E. When deputies arrived to check it out, they found the woman's stolen car crashed into a tree nearby. Witnesses told deputies that the three suspects had jumped from the vehicle, and had randomly opened fire on several people. At one point, they also reportedly pointed a gun directly at a passerby.

At that point, deputies locked down the neighborhood surrounding the Walmart, asking residents to shelter indoors while their K9 units searched the area for the outstanding suspects. However, by 4:45 p.m. the trail had gone cold, the K9 units were called off, and the lockdown was lifted.

All seemed quiet until around 5:45 p.m., when officers say they received another 911 call from a man who said he'd had his car stolen at gunpoint in the exact same Walmart parking lot. After reviewing security footage of the incident, deputies say they saw the same three suspects getting into the stolen vehicle and fleeing the area.

The lockdown lifted, deputies continued to investigate through the night, until Lakewood police found the stolen vehicle, and arrested two of the three suspects. They have been identified only as juveniles, ages 16 and 14. Both have been booked into Remann Hall on charges of robbery and assault.

There is no word yet on the third suspect, though deputies say the investigation is ongoing.

Related: 2 Minors Accused Of Crime Spree Causing $700,000 In Damages