Tukwila police said one vehicle investigation resulted in three arrests tied to three separate allegations: suspected shoplifting, driving with a suspended license, and fourth-degree assault. The department's account is available in its Facebook post.
The shoplifting allegation
Police said officers responding to the mall report identified a passenger in a nearby vehicle as the person suspected of fleeing the store. That person was taken into custody and booked in connection with the alleged shoplifting, according to Tukwila police and FOX 13 Seattle.
The driver’s license case
Police also arrested the driver after determining that the person was operating the vehicle with a suspended license. FOX 13 reported that officers also recognized the driver as someone previously trespassed from the mall. A trespass order is separate from the suspended-license allegation.
How this fits the retail-theft picture
Separately, the Washington Attorney General's Office said federal crime statistics showed the value of items stolen from Washington retailers increased by 151 percent from 2019 to 2020, while noting that organized retail crime is distinct from general shoplifting.
The assault allegation
The department said a second passenger was accused of assaulting the vehicle's owner when the owner arrived to retrieve the car. Police arrested that passenger and booked the person for fourth-degree assault, according to the department's account as reported by FOX 13.
The arrests therefore involved three distinct allegations rather than a single charge: the mall's shoplifting report, the driver's suspended-license case, and the passenger's fourth-degree-assault case. The available account describes arrests and bookings, not final court outcomes.
