Teen Assaulted, Robbed at Garfield Teen Center
A group of teens robbed another young man at the Garfield Teen Center last week, a police report says.
On January 22nd, a teenage boy was hanging out at the center when former classmate—the report says the boys attended Madrona together—approached him and asked for $5.00. The teen said no and left the center. Outside, the teen was surrounded by his former classmate and a group of four or five other young men who reached into the teen's pockets and demanded money.
Members of the group took the teen's wallet and MP3 player, and punched him in the face before they turned around and walked back in the teen center.
Staff called 911 and the members of the group split up and fled.
The report says potential witnesses to the incident were uncooperative with officers.
This certainly isn't the first time police have been called to the Center. On Halloween, 16-year-old Quincy Coleman was shot and killed near the teen center. A month and a half later, former Franklin High School basketball star Donnie Cheatham blinded in a shooting down the street at the Garfield Community Center. In both cases, witnesses at the scene also refused to speak with police.
Updated to correct the fact that there are in fact TWO community centers—the Teen Center and the Garfield Community Center—on the same block.