Boy, 12, pleads not guilty to 2 armed robberies

EVERETT — A 12-year-old boy pleaded not guilty Thursday morning to two armed robberies, including one at an Everett bikini espresso stand.

A second boy, 16, also appeared in court. A hearing was scheduled for later this month to determine whether he will be tried as an adult. He was 15 when he reportedly held up an Everett sandwich shop at gunpoint, but because he is charged with a violent offense, prosecutors can ask to have the case moved to adult court. Snohomish County deputy prosecutor John Stansell did not say Thursday whether his office will ask to have the boy tried as an adult.

The boy has a prior felony conviction for residential burglary. He will be arraigned on the robbery charge once a judge decides if the case remains in juvenile court.

Both boys remained in Denney Juvenile Justice Center.

Family members attended Thursday’s hearing. A Snohomish County marshal threw one woman out of the courtroom after she lunged at a Seattle newspaper photographer taking pictures of the boys.

The 12-year-old was arrested Sept. 6 after he was identified through video surveillance that captured the robbery at Hillbilly Hotties on Hoyt Avenue. The boy is accused of riding a bicycle to the stand, ordering a coffee and then pulling out a handgun from his backpack. He reportedly threatened to shoot the barista in the leg. He allegedly dumped the tip jar in his backpack and pedaled off.

Police believe he also is responsible for the Aug. 28 armed robbery at Pecks Drive Market in south Everett. The boy reportedly pointed a handgun at the clerk. He demanded that the clerk put money in a plastic bag. The robber was described as a young boy because of his high-pitched voice and height. The boy is 5 feet, 1 inches tall.

The boy reportedly confessed to the robberies and told police that he borrowed the gun from a 16-year-old Arlington boy.

The teenager is accused of robbing Jimmy John’s sandwich shop on Sievers-Duecy Road on July 23. He and another young man wore white surgical masks and one pointed a gun at an employee.

The 16-year-old reportedly confessed to the robbery and turned over the .38 revolver used in the robberies. Police continue to look for his accomplice.