Teen won’t be charged as adult in armed robbery case

EVERETT — A 16-year-old boy won’t be tried as an adult for an armed robbery at a sandwich shop in July.

Prosecutors on Tuesday said the case didn’t meet the criteria to move it out of the juvenile court. The defendant has limited criminal history, and if he’s convicted, he faces substantial punishment under the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Connie Crawley said.

The teen could be sentenced up to 2 ½ years in juvenile detention. A judge also potentially could order the boy held until his 21st birthday.

The teen, who remained locked up at Denney Juvenile Justice Center, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the robbery charge. Trial is scheduled for next month.

Prosecutors told the boy and his lawyer that if the case goes to trial, they plan to tack on additional charges, including the use of a gun during the crime.

The teen is accused of holding up a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop on July 23. He and another young man wore surgical masks and ordered the employees to open the cash register. The suspects are seen on surveillance video grabbing the cash and stuffing the bills in their pockets before fleeing the store. Police have not said whether they’ve identified the second suspect.

Police caught up with the teenager after a 12-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly holding up an Everett bikini espresso stand and a convenience store. He told police he borrowed the handgun from the older boy. He also said the 16-year-old was responsible for the sandwich shop heist.

The 12-year-old was charged earlier this month with two counts of first-degree robbery. He pleaded not guilty.

Police allege that he first robbed Hillbilly Hotties on Hoyt Avenue in Everett. The barista said the boy rode up on his bicycle, ordered a coffee and then pulled a handgun from his backpack. He threatened to shoot the woman in the leg if she didn’t cooperate. The boy dumped the contents of a tip jar into his backpack and pedaled off.

Prosecutors allege that less than a week earlier, he robbed the Pecks Drive Market in south Everett. The boy reportedly pointed a handgun at the clerk and demanded that the man put money in a plastic bag. He told police that he handed over part of the money to the 16-year-old.

Both boys reportedly confessed to the robberies. The teenager turned the .38-caliber revolver over to police.

The older boy has a 2011 conviction for burglary. He and some other boys broke into a neighbor’s Arlington house and caused more than $12,000 in damage.

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.