RENTON BLOTTER: Onlookers help police track down shoplifter downtown

The following information was compiled from City of Renton police reports:

A known shoplifter fled police from outside the Big 5 on South Third Street March 3.

As the 19-year-old was leaving the building, police commanded that he stop. Instead, he took off running southbound toward Third.

The officer pursued the suspect with his car, and several citizens told him where the suspect had been running through several yards.

When the officer finally caught him, he held up a DVD with footage of the suspect stealing an Airsoft gun

“He then put his head down and said ‘Can I tell you something?’” according to the report. ‘My name isn’t (redacted). I lied to you.’”

Kids assault man

Two 11-year-olds and a 15-year-old shot a 72-year-old man in the head with an Airsoft gun, causing him to bleed.

The youth told police it was because the man ran over his foot with a small collapsable shopping cart on the 300 block of Shattuck Avenue North.

The man didn’t want to press charges, but he did want the youths’ parents notified March 6.

Stolen cell phone

An 11-year-old’s cell phone was stolen from his backpack at Tiffany Park Elementary March 4.

One phone call had been placed with the stolen phone to a man in Florida.

There are no suspects.

Strong-arm robbery

A man stole a woman’s purse from her shopping cart at the Safeway on Northeast Fourth Street Feb. 25.

He was too fast for the victim to catch.

Man cuts jacket off wife

A husband cut up his wife’s black jacket while she was wearing it on the 2100 block of Southwest Sunset Boulevard.

She arrived home around 6 a.m. March 6; they began to argue when he saw she was wearing a coat that didn’t belong to her.

The husband didn’t hurt her.

Hotel car break-ins

Three cars were broken into at Extended Stay at 1150 Oaksdale Ave. S.W. March 3.

Each car had a window broken out. The first was heavily rifled through, and the stereo was removed.

Only the glove compartment was disturbed in the second, and the third just had a broken window.

Stolen fanny pack

A woman’s brown leather fanny pack was stolen after she left it in the lobby to give blood in another room at the Southlake Clinic at 4011 Talbot Rd. S. Feb. 25.