3 teens arrested in L.A. committed Capitol Hill crime spree, police believe

LOS ANGELES -- Seattle police are working to connect three teens arrested driving a stolen Ford Fusion Tuesday night in southeast LA to a Capitol Hill carjacking, pistol-whipping and other crimes.

The Los Angeles Police Department contacted Seattle police this morning to say they had taken three teens into custody driving a stolen car from Washington state. Initial investigation shows the car was taken in a carjacking last week at 10th Avenue and Seneca Street, as part of string of Capitol Hill robberies last week.

According to Seattle police, three young suspects stole a man's car at gunpoint Thursday, ordering the man out of the car and pistol-whipping him. The teens also took the man's wallet and phone and fled in his car.

Police believe the supsects maybe have been involved in three other robberies last week, all armed. The three suspects in each of those robberies allegedly matched the description of the carjacking suspects.

The robberies spurred calls for an increased police presence on Capitol Hill, as crime numbers in the popular neighborhood have jumped over the last year.