Seattle Crime Report

Seattle Police Department officers responded to a shoplifting incident at a Walgreens located at 566 Denny Way on the afternoon of February 16th, 2025. The call was made after a shoplifting suspect attempted to escape through an emergency exit while evading purchase points, prompting store security to intervene.

Officer VL Lee, who responded to the call, reported that the suspect, identified as Jerrell Scott Roberts, selected several items from the store and proceeded towards an emergency exit. The store's security guard, Zakariye Hassan, noticed Roberts' actions and intervened, which resulted in the suspect throwing a bottle of wine at Hassan. Fortunately, the bottle shattered on the ground, and the security guard was unharmed.

After Hassan provided a photograph of the suspect, Officer Lee located Roberts two blocks north of the Walgreens store. Roberts was taken into custody for Felony Investigation Robbery due to using the threat of force by throwing the bottle to deter the store from retrieving their property.

The manager of Walgreens, Andrew Hohmann, reported the incident to the police. Roberts was positively identified and found still in possession of the stolen items, including wine, Bud Ice, and Advil, valued at around $40.

Officer Lee read Roberts his Miranda rights multiple times; however, Roberts claimed ignorance of their meaning. Following standard procedure, the arrest was screened by Sergeant Audi Acuesta, and Roberts was transported to King County Jail by Officer Steven Accomando.

The Seattle City Attorney’s Office submitted the incident report to the court while reserving the right to provide supplementary information if necessary. The case underscores the ongoing challenges of retail theft and the associated safety concerns for store employees in Seattle.