4 juveniles, including 13-year-old, arrested after chase, armed carjacking

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Guardian One captured the moments before a chase and armed carjacking ended in the arrest of four juveniles, the youngest just 13 years old.

They are suspected of a car theft in Redmond and an armed carjacking in Renton.

It ended with a police pursuit through Bellevue, and all of this happened in less than three hours.

Students at schools in Bellevue’s Phantom Lake neighborhood were placed on lockdown as police across the Eastside worked together to take these four young people into custody.

It was a dramatic conclusion to what police say was a trio of crimes by four young suspects.

One of them, a 13-year-old, was arrested in the Phantom Lake neighborhood where Stuart Reynolds lives.

“This is the first time we’ve seen any kind of police activity (in) our neighborhood,” said Reynolds.

His child was among scores of students at Phantom Lake Elementary and Tillicum Middle School placed into lockdown while Bellevue police were in pursuit.

The four were suspected of stealing an Elantra in Redmond and driving it to The Landing in Renton.

Then, police say, the armed carjacking of a Dodge Charger. The 13-year-old allegedly took off in the Elantra; three 15-year-olds drove off in the Dodge.

“As officers attempted to stop that car, the driver and the two occupants of that car fled at a high rate of speed,” said Major David Sanabria with Bellevue police.

Bellevue police say they were able to give chase because a weapon was involved in the carjacking.

Traffic cameras picked up the pursuit — north on 148th Avenue Southeast to Northeast 8th Street to West Lake Sammamish Parkway to Lakemont Boulevard.

At one point, a rear passenger-side tire came off the Dodge Charger and rolled away.

Guardian One followed, capturing a trail of smoke coming from the tire rim.

Then the trio pulled off at a trailhead at Coal Creek. One teen stayed behind while two others fled into the woods. They eventually surrendered and were taken into custody.

“It’s shocking,” said Major Sanabria. “Dangerous, involved in dangerous crimes, and then involved in a high-speed pursuit with police officers. It is shocking.”

A lot of law enforcement worked together to solve this case, including police from Seattle, Renton, Bellevue and Issaquah, the Washington State Patrol, the King County Sheriff and, of course, Guardian One.

Bellevue police say they have not yet recovered the weapon used in the carjacking. They are waiting to execute a search warrant.

The good news in all of this is that no one, including the suspects, was hurt.

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