A 12-year-old boy was arrested and charged with second-degree robbery on Jan. 22 after he allegedly assaulted a woman and stole her handbag during an incident earlier this month in Seattle.
Officers from the Seattle Police Department (SPD) said in a press release that they responded to a report of a robbery on Jan. 17 around 6:50 p.m. and discovered a 43-year-old woman, not identified, who had allegedly been injured. The incident occurred inside an Amazon Fresh store, where the juvenile, who was wearing a bright pink ski mask, allegedly hit the woman multiple times in the face, and then used a screwdriver to stab her in the cheek, according to the police report.
Police said the juvenile took the woman’s handbag and searched its contents in a nearby parking garage before he allegedly returned, assaulted her a second time, and then ran from the scene. Police stated they found the suspect when he fled on foot and recognized him based on his age, clothing, and previous interactions they’d had with him. (RELATED: Marine Vet Killed During Facebook Marketplace Sale Sends Heart-Rending Text Before Death)
Police knew where the suspect lived, served an arrest warrant at his house, and took him into custody without incident. Police also said they recovered the screwdriver used in the alleged incident.
12 year old arrested after attacking, robbing woman with screwdriver:https://t.co/mh5gnRXADS
— Seattle Police Department (@SeattlePD) January 18, 2026
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged the juvenile, not identified, with second-degree robbery and obstructing a law enforcement officer, King 5 reported. In Washington state, robbery cases involving 12-year-old suspects are required to remain in juvenile court. Bail is also not considered, as juveniles are either detained or released. The 12-year-old was scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 23, according to King 5.
Local resident Geoffrey Michael Butterfield reacted to the alleged attack, telling KOMO News it was “pretty scary.”
“That’s pretty scary. I have a 14-year-old, and I would never in my wildest dreams think of a 12-year-old doing that,” Butterfield said.
Tyler Gray, an Amazon Fresh shopper, said the corner where the attack occurred “has been a little bit problematic.”
“This corner has been a little bit problematic, but the neighborhood is generally safe,” Gray explained to the outlet.
The juvenile was booked into the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children & Family Justice Center, and robbery detectives are handling the case, police said.
The Daily Caller contacted the SPD and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, neither of whom immediately commented.