Two suspects were arrested in separate shoplifting incidents that occurred minutes apart along Southcenter Parkway, according to the Tukwila Police Department.
Police said Officers Mosley and Yaranon were dispatched to a shoplifter in the 17300 block of Southcenter Parkway who had fled on foot. As the officers approached a neighboring business to search for the suspect, the man came out holding merchandise he was in the process of stealing.
According to police, the suspect tried to return the items by going back inside and handing them to an employee. Officers took him into custody and booked him into jail.
While officers were dealing with that arrest, police said a woman from a nearby store pushed a shopping cart full of merchandise out the door. Officers saw her attempt to run before hiding in the backseat of a car. She was taken into custody without incident and booked into jail.
Tukwila Police said the suspect “attempted to negate the theft by running back inside and giving the merchandise back to an employee. This is akin to backing up through a red light you ran,” the department said in a statement posted online.
